23 killed in school bus accident, victims mostly school girls

A crowded school bus skidded off a highway bridge and plunged some 50 feet below into a river in Nawalparasi district, Thursday night, killing at least 23 people, most of them school girl who were returning from a picnic.

Initial report said that a teacher and a journalist were also among those killed in the tragic accident.

The bus, which was one of two vehicles returning from a picnic carrying large number of children and teachers, fell off a bridge at Kharkhare near Gaidakot of Nawalparasi district, which is some 200 kilometers south-west of the Kathmandu.

Around five dozen students including teachers have been hurt in the accident. They are being treated at a government hospital in Bharatpur, but some have been flown to Kathmandu. Reports quoted doctors as saying that the death toll may rise as the condition of some of the injured students is very critical. The students belonged to Hill Bird secondary school of Bharatpur, Chitwan.

Police said the accident occurred when the bus, traveling in a very high speed, tried to overtake a tractor on the bridge. The bus driver is learnt to have escaped unhurt and is missing. nepalnews.com Dec 12 08