Dozens feared dead in Nepal bus mishap

KATHMANDU - At least three dozen people are feared to have been killed in northern Nepal Monday as the bus they were riding in fell off the road into a swirling river below and a still strong monsoon made rescue difficult.

Police said five bodies had been spotted but could not be fished out immediately as the swollen Bhote Kosi river made rescue and retrieval of passengers and bodies almost impossible.

Eyewitnesses said the bus, headed towards Barabise from Tatopani, near the border with Tibet, fell almost 100 metres below into the Bhote Kosi river at Gata village in Sindhupalchowk district.

The bus was carrying about 40 to 45 passengers, most of whom are feared to have been trapped in the submerged bus.

At least two of them, who were sitting on the roof, jumped down and were rescued by locals. More than three hours after the accident, divers and rescue workers had not been able to bring the vehicle up.

Overcrowding, bad roads and rash driving contribute to make road journeys in Nepal dangerous, with hundreds dying in accidents every year.

(Sudeshna Sarkar can be contacted at sudeshna.s@ians.in)