Nepal: 30 killed in bus tragedy

2010-03-18 16:50

Kathmandu - At least 30 people were confirmed killed and four others were missing on Thursday when an overcrowded bus plunged off a remote mountain highway into a river in western Nepal, the government said.

The bus fell about 200m into the fast-flowing Karnali River in the Dailekh district, about 450km west of Kathmandu.

Nepal's home ministry said teams of search and rescue workers had recovered the bodies of 30 people and were searching for four others who remained missing after the accident.

The bus was packed with passengers inside and on its roof at the time of the accident, police officers conducting the rescue operation said.

The Nepalese government said 10 seriously injured people were airlifted to the regional town of Nepalgunj for treatment. Three others received minor injuries.

The ministry said nearly 50 people were travelling on the bus.

Overcrowding

The rescue effort was delayed because of the remoteness of the area and its difficult mountainous terrain, local police officials said.

Police said the cause of the accident was not immediately known but suspect overcrowding could be the reason.

Hundreds of people are killed each year in road accidents involving public transport in Nepal.

In remote Nepal, the frequent overcrowding of public transport is one of the main causes of accidents.

- SAPA