16 killed in bus accident in Bara district of Nepal

At least 16 people died in a bus accident in the Bara District of Southern Nepal along the East-West highway on Thursday.

Kathmandu:At least 16 people died in a bus accident in the Bara District of Southern Nepal along the East-West highway on Thursday. The accident took place in the morning hours when the bus was en route to Pathlaiya of Bara from Narayangadh of Chitwan and crashed near Tin number pul along East-West Highway injuring over two dozen people, according to local police officials.

"12 succumbed to injuries during treatment at the Hetauda Hospital in Makwanpur District while two died in Chure Hill Hospital and one each at Makwanpur Hospital and Chitwan. An additional 24 people have been injured and are undergoing treatment" Inspector Balaram Shrestha of the Makawanpur District Police Office told ANI over the phone.

The bus was ferrying people on their way back from the festival of Dashain. Ths bus was boarded with people with more than its capacity and ultimately fell off the bridge into the river, as per the local officials. Road accidents are common in Nepal at the time of festivals such as Dashain when people migrate in large numbers for the festivity.

Poor road conditions and overloaded vehicles with human error on the side of drivers have been contributing to rising fatalities in the Himalayan region. (ANI)