KATHMANDU, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Six people were killed and 17 others injured in a road accident in Banke district of southwestern Nepal on Saturday, local authorities said.

The accident took place when a microbus collided with a lorry in Raptisonari of Banke district along the East-West Highway, according to Madan Bhujel, chief at the District Administration Office Banke.

Bhujel told the media that four died on the spot and two died while undergoing treatment at a local hospital. "The 17 injured are receiving treatment at the hospital," the official added.

Meanwhile, in a separate road mishap, nine people were injured in western Nepal earlier on Saturday. Local media reported that the incident happened when a passenger bus heading to Nepalgunj, a sub-metropolitan city in Banke district, skidded off the East-West Highway and plunged into a gorge at Nawalparasi.

Poor condition of roads and ill-maintained vehicles are often blamed for road accidents in the mountainous Nepal.