At least 14 people were killed, 16 others injured, and several more are believed to be missing after a bus carrying Indian pilgrims veered off a major highway in Nepal on Friday, according to officials.
The bus swerved off the Prithvi Highway and rolled down towards a fast-flowing river, coming to a halt on a rocky riverbank. The upper part of the bus was torn apart, but the wreckage did not plunge into the Marsyangdi River.
Shailendra Thapa, spokesperson for the Armed Police Force, reported that among those rescued from the bus, 14 were pronounced dead, and 16 were injured.
Authorities have not yet determined the exact number of passengers or how many are still unaccounted for, but it is estimated that around four dozen people were on board at the time of the crash.
Police and army rescuers were working to extract victims from the wreckage near Abukhaireni, a town located about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kathmandu, the capital.
The bus, which originated from Gorakhpur in neighboring India, was en route to Kathmandu from the resort town of Pokhara when it ran off the highway midway through the journey.
In July, two buses were swept away by landslides near the site of Friday’s accident. Of the 65 passengers on those buses, only three survived, and roughly half of the bodies were recovered. The wreckage of those buses remains undiscovered, but authorities continue their search.
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Bus accidents in Nepal are often attributed to poorly maintained roads and vehicles. Much of the country is mountainous, with narrow, winding roads that add to the risk.
