35 pilgrims killed in Nepal bus accident

Kathmandu, July 15 (IANS) At least 35 pilgrims, most of them Indians, were killed and 12 injured in a road accident in western Nepal Sunday afternoon after their bus veered off the road and fell into a canal, police said.

The overcrowded bus was carrying about 120 passengers and according to initial police estimates, the accident occurred due to drunk driving, Xinhua reported.

The incident occurred in Nawalparasi district when an overcrowded bus fell into the water while heading towards Triveni, a Hindu pilgrimage site, 100 km from capital Kathmandu, according to police superintendent Gyan Bikram Shah.

Most of the passengers were Indians who were going to attend a Bolbum religious fair, said Shah, adding that the bodies of 24 men, 10 women and a child had been recovered.

As many as 50 passengers, however, were rescued.

Nepal Army and Armed Police Force personnel along with local residents were carrying out rescue works. The number of casualties could rise, the official added.