Nepal Bus Crash Kills At Least 35

A bus carrying Hindu pilgrims plunged into a gorge in Nepal on Wednesday, killing at least 35 people and injuring 15, an official said.

The bus veered off a mountainous highway near Baineta, a village nearly 185 miles west of Katmandu, the Nepalese capital, said Pratap Kumar Pathak, the local chief administrative officer.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

Pathak said the driver was probably not used to driving along the narrow highway with sharp turns.

The injured have been transported to hospitals in the area, Pathak said, adding that soldiers were helping with the rescue and recovery of bodies from the gorge.

The bus veered off the highway and rolled for about 160 feet from the highway.

The pilgrims were heading toward a religious place called Swargadari, or heaven's gate, when the accident happened.

Accidents are common in Nepal which is mostly covered by mountainous terrain and the roads are poorly maintained.