Nepal: Bus returning from Hindu festival fell in river

A passenger bus which was returning to Nepali capital of Kathmandu from a Hindu festival skidded off the the main highway and plunged into a river today, killing at least 31 people and leaving others trapped.

The accident occurred around dawn, around 50 km (30 miles) west of the city on the Prithvi Highway that connects Kathmandu with the southern plains.

"We have recovered 31 bodies and are looking for more," government official Ram Mani Mishra told Reuters from the scene. "It's highly unlikely for anyone to survive for so long under water."

Rescuers on rubber boats and police divers managed to spot the bus hours after the crash and were trying to lift it from water with the help of a crane, Mishra said.

Apart from the deaths, 16 people have been injured, government administrator Shyam Prasad Bhandari said. Two with grave injuries were taken to Kathmandu while the rest were treated at a local hospital, he said.
Police said survivors were thrown out of the bus windows but another 13 people were still believed to be trapped in the bus.