At least 20 people were confirmed killed and dozens more were injured or missing Thursday after an overcrowded passenger bus plunged into a river in central Nepal, officials said. The accident happened in Sindhupalchowk district, 70 kilometres north-east of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.
The bus fell about 40 metres off a mountain highway and plunged into the fast-flowing Sunkoshi River, said Bhanubhakta Pokharel, the chief district officer. By Thursday evening, rescuers had recovered 20 bodies, including that of the driver, but were searching for dozens of others who remain missing. Nepalese police said all the bodies were recovered several kilometres downriver. The bus, on its way to Kathmandu, was reportedly carrying as many as 50 people when the accident happened.