Nepal bus accident kills 11 people

Aug 12, 2009, 4:08 GMT

   Kathmandu - At least 11 people were killed and dozens injured when an overcrowded passenger bus plunged off a mountain highway in eastern Nepal, police said Wednesday.

   The bus was carrying 75 passengers, almost double its capacity, when the accident happened in Udaypur district, 350 kilometres east of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, on Tuesday evening, the police said.

   Police quoted witnesses as saying the bus lost control while negotiating a sharp bend on the narrow mountain highway and fell 300 metres into a ravine.

   Most of the victims died when they were crushed in the wreckage.

   At least 35 others were injured in the accident and were rushed to hospital for treatment. Many of the injured were in serious condition.

   The cause of the accident was not immediately known, but police said they suspected overcrowding and speeding could be the reason.

   Witnesses said the bus was carrying many people on its roof as the passenger cabin was full.

   Nepal has a notorious record on road safety. Hundreds of people are killed each year in bus accidents blamed mostly on careless driving and overcrowding.