17 died as bus plunged into river in Nepal

Kathmandu. A Passenger bus skidded off the road and plunged some 200 meters down into the Trishuli river in Nepal’s Dhading district, killing at least 17 people.

The accident took place in Krishnabhir area of Dhading district, some 50 km from here, a news agency reported. The bus was heading to Kathmandu from Katari. Soon after the incident, rescue operation started.

Six bodies were pulled from the river and three people died on the way to the hospital. Rescuers were able to pull seven more bodies from the swollen river later in the day.

It was not clear how many people had been on the bus, but rescuers continued to search the river for missing passengers. The river was flooded by the heavy monsoon rainfall, making the search difficult.

Police are investigating the cause, but it was raining heavily at 4 a.m. when the accident occurred.

At least 39 people were killed Sunday in another bus accident in Nepal, a mountainous nation where roads and vehicles are often poorly maintained.