At least 17 dead in Nepal bus crash

A bus returning from a party crashed near the Nepalese capital on Tuesday killing at least 17 people and injuring 22 more.

The injured were rescued by local villagers with the help of police officers and soldiers who reached the crash site near Bethanchowk village, located about 48 kilometres east of the capital, Kathmandu.

Police said they were not sure why the bus bumped the side wall of the mountainous road but were investigating the cause.Earlier on Monday, a vehicle carrying passengers coming from a wedding veered off a mountain highway in Nepal leaving 12 people dead.Road accidents in mountainous Nepal are often blamed on poorly maintained roads and vehicles.