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Nepal crash kills dozens on pilgrim bus | Nepal crash kills dozens on pilgrim bus |
(about 2 hours later) | |
At least 39 pilgrims have been killed in a bus crash in Nepal, officials say. | |
The crowded bus swerved off a road and plunged into an irrigation canal near the town of Parasi, 150km (93 miles) south-west of Kathmandu. | |
The bus was taking the pilgrims - mostly from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh - to the Hindu pilgrimage site of Triveni, close to the Indian border. | The bus was taking the pilgrims - mostly from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh - to the Hindu pilgrimage site of Triveni, close to the Indian border. |
Buses are often overcrowded in Nepal and accidents on poorly maintained mountain roads are common. | Buses are often overcrowded in Nepal and accidents on poorly maintained mountain roads are common. |
Police official Gyan Bikram Shah told the Associated Press that the driver had lost control on roads that were slippery because of rainfall. | |
He said the bus was so crowded that people were riding on the roof. | He said the bus was so crowded that people were riding on the roof. |
Local government official Bir Bahadur Rai told the BBC that he was trying to verify accounts from survivors that more than 100 people had been travelling on the bus. | |
The BBC's Surendra Phuyal says only two bodies of Nepali nationals have been identified so far. | |
Indian officials have now arrived at the scene and are expected to help identify the other victims, our correspondent adds. | |
Police official Deepak Raya said the bus became fully submerged after veering off the road. | |
He said the pilgrim were to attend an annual religious festival at Triveni on Monday morning. | |
Officials said water levels in the canal were high as a result of monsoon rains. Rescuers have drained water from it to search for survivors, police officer Ram Dutta Joshi told the Reuters news agency. | |
Last October, at least 41 people were killed when a bus swerved off a mountain road and plummeted 400m (1,300ft) into a river in eastern Nepal. | Last October, at least 41 people were killed when a bus swerved off a mountain road and plummeted 400m (1,300ft) into a river in eastern Nepal. |