At least 17 dead as bus falls into river in Nepal, 50 injured
The bus was crowded because the Tihar festival ended last week as many people were returning back to work from their villages
At least 17 people died and 50 injured as an overcrowded bus swerved off the mountain highway and fell into a river in Nepal, an official said.
The bus was packed with people returning from festivals and appeared to have a mechanical problem before skidding off the highway on Sunday, Police official Madhav Kafle said.
Among the injured, 21 were still hospitalized Monday for medical treatment, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
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Kafle said passengers heard a loud sound and the steering appeared to have failed before the bus drove off the highway and crashed in the Sunkoshi River 20 metres below.
Local rafters assisted the police and the army to rescue any survivors but some passengers are still feared missing.
The crash site in Sindhupalchowk district is about 120 kilometres east of the capital, Kathmandu.
The bus was crowded because the Tihar festival ended last week and many people were returning back to work from their villages.
Bus accidents in Nepal, covered mostly by mountains, are blamed on poorly maintained vehicles and roads.
Last month, 11 people died and more than 100 were injured when another bus plunged into a river.
