Bus collides with truck in Nepal; 18 dead, 19 hurt

By: 11 years ago

KATMANDU, Nepal — A bus collided head-on with a truck on a narrow mountain highway in western Nepal on Wednesday, killing at least 18 people and injuring 19 others, officials said.

The accident occurred on a turn where the road was barely wide enough for two large vehicles to pass, said Resham Raj Acharya, who was involved the rescue. He said both the truck, which was carrying cooking gas cylinders, and the bus were being driven rapidly.

After they collided, the vehicles rolled over the edge of the highway. Police and villagers helped pull the injured out of the wreckage.

The accident occurred near Narpani village, 250 kilometers (160 miles) west of Katmandu, police official Dipendra Chetri said.

Accidents in Nepal are often blamed on poorly maintained roads and vehicles.