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3 killed, 35 missing in Nepal as bus falls in river

20 November 2014 20:21 (UTC +04:00)

The bus veered about 50 meters off a narrow road and fell into the Bheri River in the vicinity of Bhur village in the Jajarkot district, some 400 kilometers west of the capital, Katmandu, on Thursday.

Eight people were rescued and three bodies have been pulled out of the river.

Police says they fear more people could be missing since the exact number of passengers on the bus is not yet known.

"At least two dozen passengers are feared dead," police officer Sher Bahadur Chaudhary said.

Search and rescue operations were being hindered by the Bheri River's strong current as the bus itself was completely submerged under water.

The bus started its journey with 45 passengers and other travelers might have been joined on the way without registering their names.

Nepal, a country in which road accidents are common, suffers from poor and narrow roads, reckless driving, old and poorly-maintained vehicles and overcrowded buses.

Road accidents are also aggravated by the rugged mountainous terrain.