Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens

Home ministry sends two teams to bring back bodies of the dead in India bus mishap

The Home Ministry said it has dispatched two teams comprising of policemen to the mountainous north Indian state of Uttarakhanda Friday to make necessary arrangements to bring back the bodies of the 36 Nepali pilgrims killed when their bus plunged into the swollen Alkananda river in Chamauli area.

Four people were also hurt in the incident that occurred Thursday afternoon. Reports said they are currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital. Their condition is said to be very critical.

Home ministry officials said the teams would go to the accident site, an eight hours' drive from Mahendrangar, and prepare to bring the bodies back by land.

The bus belonging to Araniko Yatayat of Nepal had spun out of control and fell 100 feet into the swollen river in Uttarakhanda state whose pilgrimage sites are very popular among Nepali Hindus. There were 40 passengers in the bus.

Earlier, reports said that rescue team comprising of Indian army recovered 24 bodies from the wreckage of the bus, which, according to AFP was stuck among boulders in the fast -flowing river. The remaining bodies are believed to have been swept away by the river. 21 of the dead have been identified till now.

The pilgrims were from Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Hetauda with majority from Panauti of Kabrepalanchowk. They had been touring Hindu pilgrimage sites for the past week. They where returning from Badrinath Dham, a popular shrine on the foothills of the Himalayas when the accident occurred. nepalnews.com ag Aug 01 08