14 Pilgrims die, 18 injured after Bus crashes in Nepal

A bus carrying Hindu pilgrims drove off a highway and crashed in
Nepal on Sunday, killing 14 people and injuring 18, police said.

The
pilgrims were returning home after visiting the famed Hindu Kalinchowk Bhagwati
temple when the bus veered off the highway about 80 kilometers east of the
capital, Kathmandu, police official Prajwal Maharjan said.

Rescuers
were able to pull out the injured passengers and take them to nearby hospitals
for treatment.

Maharjan
said police were investigating the cause of the crash but the roads were
slippery because of winter rain. The visibility was also poor due to morning
fog..

There
was also a possibility of mechanical failure and it appeared the bus was not
from the area and the driver might not be familiar with the road conditions.

Bus
accidents in Nepal, which is mostly covered by mountains, are generally blamed
on poorly maintained vehicles and roads.