Two people have died and three others were injured after a jeep crashed in Achham district of western Nepal, police said.

The accident occurred on Friday at Panchdeval Binayak Municipality-4 along the Mid-Hill Highway. The jeep, bearing registration number Ba Pra 01-027 Cha 2277 and belonging to Sallok Ashram Janakpur, was travelling from Darchula to Jumla when it veered off the road and plunged approximately 200 meters down a hillside.

According to Police Inspector Sitaram Bista of the Sudurpashchim Province Traffic Police Office, two of the injured victims died while undergoing treatment at Surkhet Provincial Hospital.

The deceased have been identified as 41-year-old Nabin Tuladhar of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City in Makwanpur district and 45-year-old Ram Prakash Tharu of Bansgadhi Municipality-5 in Bardiya district. Both succumbed to their injuries on Saturday morning.

Among the injured, the condition of the driver, 28-year-old Raj Rajendra Bhimraj Chattan Gupta of Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City-5 in Banke district, remains critical. Another passenger, 27-year-old Sant Kumar Shah of Kalyanpur Municipality-10 in Siraha district, is also reported to be in serious condition. Both are receiving treatment in Surkhet.

A third injured passenger, Arjun Kumar Paudel, of Phedikhola Municipality-4 in Syangja district, is in moderate condition, police said.

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the crash, and an investigation is underway.