The passengers were returning from a pilgrimage to a popular Hindu temple 140 kilometres (85 miles) north-east of Kathmandu (Pralhad GHIMIRE)
<p>Kathmandu (AFP) – At least 14 people died after a bus carrying pilgrims veered off a highway and rolled down a steep slope in central Nepal Sunday, officials said, the latest deadly traffic accident in the Himalayan nation.</p><p>Police said the bus carrying 32 passengers plunged 70 metres (230 feet) onto a lower stretch of the winding road in Sindhupalchowk district, around 80 kilometres north-east of the capital Kathmandu.</p><p>"We have recovered the bodies of 12 passengers from the accident," police officer Prajwal Maharjan told AFP, adding that two others had died in hospital.</p><p>Four of the dead were children, traffic police added.</p><p>Some 18 passengers who were injured were taken to hospital, with officials unclear if the bus driver was among them or had fled the scene of the crash.</p><p>The passengers were returning from a pilgrimage to Kalinchowk Bhagawati, a popular Hindu temple located at a heigh of almost 4000 metres in the hills of Nepal’s Dolakha district, around 140 kilometres east of Kathmandu. </p><p>The cause of the accident was not yet known, but police said reckless driving down the steep and winding road could have been a key factor.</p><p>Deadly traffic accidents are relatively common in the impoverished Himalayan nation because of poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.</p><p>At least 18 passengers were killed when a bus plunged into a gorge in central Nepal last month.</p><p></p>

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.