Four people, a driver and three passengers, were killed and two others were injured when a Bolero jeep en route to the Pathibhara Temple from Fungling, the district headquarters of Taplejung, caught fire early Monday, April 21.      

Preliminary investigation indicated the vehicle, with registration number Me 1 Cha 3011, burst into flames after coming in contact with a live wire that had broken off from an electric pole and fell onto the road at Sewaro Chowk, Fungling Municipality-10, said the District Police of Taplejung.

The deceased were later identified as Aadhya Acharya (16) from Lalitpur Metropolitan City-10, her maternal grandfather Binod Paudel (70) from Bhadrapur Municipality-15, her maternal grandmother Sarita Paudel (69), and the driver Durga Bhattarai (42) from Phungling Municipality-10. 

The injured were Aadhya's mother Sabina Acharya (45) and brother Bhavimay Acharya (10). They were taken to the district hospital.

According to Bibek Basnet, Information officer at District Police Office, a team of 15 police personnel led by Inspector Rabi Rawal reached the site as soon as they received information about the incident.

Further investigation is underway, the police said.

(With inputs from RSS)

This news has been updated for clarity.