As Dasain was approaching, the Nepali workers who had come to Shimla to pick apples were in a hurry to return home.

A Nepali worker who was planning to return home after picking, transporting and grading apples in one and a half weeks, died in a jeep accident in a river in Ramnagar area of ​​Kotkhai sub division of Shimla on Monday morning. 

4 people including 3 of the same family from Kumakh Rural Municipality-4 Basnetjeula of Salyan have died and 3 people have been injured. The deceased have been identified as 47-year-old Dilli Bahadur Shahi, 37-year-old Ekendra Shahi, 24-year-old Lakshmi Shahi and 37-year-old Rajesh Bisht. The injured are Nep Bahadur Shahi, Sajan Shahi and Hemant Shahi. They have been discharged after normal treatment . 

On Monday morning, the Nepali workers were going to the river from Ramnagar to the bari area to transport apples by riding a jeep. Deceased Lakshmi and driver Jogendrasinh Dogra (owner of apple farm, he also died in the accident) were inside the vehicle . 6 other Nepalese workers were sitting on the roof of the jeep. The accident happened when the Nepali worker's jeep overturned while reversing the car coming from the front on the Ghumti.

"We found out only after we fell on the road below," Nep Bahadur Shahi, who was also injured in the accident, said, "We didn't know what happened while backing the vehicle."

According to the Kotkhai police, the jeep accident happened due to uncontrolled driving. According to the police, after emptying the crates of apples brought from Bari, the jeep was going to Bari again. The workers were sitting on the roof because there were empty crates behind the jeep. 

Sajan and the deceased Lakshmi are a couple who were injured in the accident. They had been working in the same area for two years, depending on the season, from apple picking to Godmel etc. Others have reached Ramnagar a month ago. "We used to work in a place called Anni Bazar in Shimla, from water tank repair to pipe installation," said Shahi, "After we stopped getting that job, we came to work in apple transportation. It was only a month before such an accident happened." According to

Shahi, the bodies of Lakshmi, Ekendra and Rajesh who died on the spot are being brought home after post mortem at Kotkhai Hospital. They are preparing to leave Shimla on Tuesday afternoon. Shahi said that the body of Dilli, who died during treatment, is in the Shimla hospital and his post-mortem is being prepared. He said that after the post-mortem, his body will also be brought home.

The owner of the apple farm, Jogendra, also died in the accident, and Shahi said that Karan did not even get his wages. The owner also has other brothers . Shahi said that they have promised to provide wages after they finish the last rites. 

In Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India, apple picking starts from July. It lasts till Dasain Tihar . The work of picking apples can be done at the beginning of October in some places, and in some places it lasts until November. A large number of Nepali workers reach different areas of Shimla for picking, transporting and grading apples. 

The work of picking apples in Ramnagar area under Kotkhai Umpandal, which is 60 km away from Shimla, was at the end. The bodies of those who planned to celebrate Dasain with their families are now coming home. 

A large number of Nepali workers are losing their lives in natural disasters and road accidents in the Indian Himalayas and Uttarakhand. As unskilled workers, the Nepalese who reach the high mountain areas of Himachal and Uttarakhand work in risky areas. For this, they do not have any safety training and equipment.