Bus crashes off Nepalese mountain road
A bus veered off a mountain highway and plunged into a river in Nepal today, killing at least 13 people and injuring another 25, police said.
The bus rolled about 330 feet from the road down to the Trishuli river, about 50 miles west of the capital, Kathmandu, said police official Ramesh Silwal.
Silwal said the police were still investigating the cause of the accident, which happened when it was still dark.
The injured have been transported to hospitals in nearby towns, he said.
The bus was heading towards the southern border town of Birgunj, where an ethnic rights group has imposed a transport strike since yesterday.
Many drivers try to beat the strike by travelling during nights and at high speed.
High-speed travel is considered dangerous in Nepal because the Himalayan nation is mostly covered with mountainous terrain and the roads are often narrow with sharp turns.
The strike was called by Madeshi People’s Rights Forum, which has been organising protests in southern Nepal since January to press for greater rights of the people in the area.
The protests have sometimes turned violent and 21 people have already been killed during these demonstrations.
