24 killed in bus accident in Nepal

Kathmandu: An overcrowded bus have veered off a mountain road in Nepal, leaving at least 24 people dead and several more injured, said police.

Police said the bus plunged off the road on Thursday near a village about 400 kilometres (250 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu. The bus rolled about 200 meters (650 feet) down a slope before crashing into the Pasagad river.

Local villagers helped police and soldiers pull the bodies and the injured from the wreckage.

Accidents in Nepal are mostly blamed on poorly maintained roads and vehicle conditions. The country is covered by mountains and the roads are also usually narrow.