Bus falls into ravine in eastern Nepal, killing 9

NEW DELHI. August 13. KAZINFORM. At least nine people died and 36 were wounded when a bus plunged off a mountain highway in eastern Nepal, the Kathmandu Post reported on Wednesday; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

The accident occurred on Tuesday night in Udaypur district, 350 kilometers (220 miles) east of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu. The bus was carrying more than 60 people when it skidded off the road and fell into a 300-meter ravine.

According to eyewitnesses, the bus lost control while negotiating a sharp bend on the narrow mountain highway. Police said the bus was overcrowded and the driver was probably speeding.

Nine people of 36 injured in the accident were hospitalized in critical condition. Of the nine who died, only 6-year-old Bidur Koirala has been identified, the newspaper reported; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version.