Deadly Nepal highway crash killed 27 Indian pilgrims

• A bus carrying Indian pilgrims crashed off Prithvi Highway in Nepal, killing 27 and injuring 16 others.
• The bus rolled towards a fast-flowing river, causing its roof to rip open.
• Rescue workers recovered 27 bodies and airlifted the 16 injured to Kathmandu for treatment.

At least 27 people died and 16 others sustained injuries when a bus carrying Indian pilgrims veered off Prithvi Highway and crashed in Nepal on Friday, officials reported. The bus rolled towards a fast-flowing river, its roof ripped open before it came to a halt on the rocky bank, just short of the murky, rushing Marsyangdi River.

Rescue workers recovered 27 bodies from the wreckage and airlifted the 16 injured to Kathmandu for treatment, according to Armed Police Force spokesperson Shailendra Thapa. They found the wreckage near Abukhaireni, a town about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kathmandu and the river. Thapa stated that the wreckage would be removed on Saturday because it was already dark and recovery efforts were challenging.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu confirmed that all 43 people on board the bus were Indian nationals. The embassy also reported that the bus had fallen about 150 meters (500 feet) from the highway and stated that they were coordinating with local authorities involved in relief and rescue operations.

The bus, which originated from the neighboring Indian town of Gorakhpur, was en route to Kathmandu from the resort town of Pokhara when it veered off the highway on Friday. Tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims from India visit Nepal each year to worship at Hindu shrines, as Nepal is a Hindu-majority country. Local news reports indicated that the pilgrims on this bus were traveling to Kathmandu to visit the Pashupatinath Temple, a revered site dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.

In July, landslides swept away two buses not far from Friday’s accident site. Of the 65 people aboard those buses, only three survived, and authorities recovered only about half of the bodies. The wreckage of the buses remains unfound, but search efforts continue.

The monsoon season, which runs from June to September, brings heavy rainfall to Nepal, triggering landslides and flooding. The rain swells rivers, increasing their speed due to the mountainous terrain, and turns them a murky brown, complicating search efforts. Rescuers used divers, scanners, and heavy magnets to locate the wreckage, but they found no traces.

Bus accidents in Nepal often result from poorly maintained roads and vehicles. The country's mountainous terrain features narrow roads that contribute to these accidents.

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