39 Hindu pilgrims killed in bus crash in Nepal

An overcrowded bus carrying Hindu pilgrims skidded off a slippery highway in the south of the country yesterday, killing at least 39 people.

Officials said the bus was so packed that some people were riding on the roof.

The driver lost control on the rain-slicked road, and the bus plunged into a flooded irrigation canal. Rescuers recovered 39 bodies.

Most of those on board were believed to be Indian nationals from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state who were visiting Nepal on an annual pilgrimage to Hindu temples. The driver is believed to have survived the crash but may have fled.

AP