Nepal: Bus plunges into river, 40 killed

At least 40 people were killed on Thursday when a crowded passenger bus skidded off a hilly road and fell into Sunkoshi River in eastern Nepal.

The bus plunged into the river at Ritthebhir area in Jhangajholi village of Sindhuli district, 150 km east of Kathmandu, killing 40 people and injuring 16 others, said the police.

However, 11 people traveling on the roof of the bus managed to jump off when the bus went out of control. The bus was en route to capital Kathmandu.

Police and rescue workers carried out rescue work with the help of local people. The injured passengers have been brought to Kathmandu for medical treatment, said the police.

This is the biggest bus accident in Nepal after the Vijaya Dashami festival. Although the exact reason of the accident is not be known yet, it is presumed that overload might have caused the accident.

Dilapidated roads, old public transport vehicles and overcrowded buses are the main causes of highway accidents in Nepal.