Nepal bus crash kills 14

KATHMANDU: An overloaded bus plunged down a hill in central Nepal on Friday, killing at least 14 people including three foreigners, police said.

The bus was crowded with tourists and Nepalese people travelling for the Hindu festival of Tihar when it crashed in Nuwakot, a small hill town outside Kathmandu, local police official Sarita Rajbhandari told AFP.

“Fourteen of the passengers died including three foreigners,” Rajbhandari said.

“One is an Israeli, the two other foreign victims are yet to be identified.”

District official Koshari Niraula said it was unclear exactly how many people were on board, but the bus was thought to have been overloaded with passengers when the accident happened.

Rajbhandari said rescuers had taken more than 50 people to hospitals in and around Kathmandu for treatment, and a helicopter had been deployed for the most serious cases.

Accidents are relatively common on Nepal’s highways because of poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.