A bus in Nepal lost control and veered off the road into a ravine early in the morning of Wednesday, April 22, 2015, causing the deaths of at least 17 people on board at the time of the accident. Twelve of these deaths are alleged to have taken place on scene, while five deaths occurred later in area hospitals. The accident occurred near Nagdhunga, an area a few miles westward from the nation’s capital city of Kathmandu
The bus was a double-decker bus, transporting around 50 people on a pilgrimage hailing from the Gujarat area of neighboring India. The injured were reportedly taken to seven area hospitals. Reports have stated that 30 people were injured in the crash. The condition of all the injured people has not been released, although four are said to be in critical condition and fighting for their lives.
The driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle on the Prithvi roadway when the bus swerved over a gorge, plunging nearly 1,000 feet down before landing on the valley floor below. The roads in Nepal are notoriously dangerous and ill-kept, and overcrowding of buses is a known issue in the region. Authorities in the area have yet to state whether the bus was filled beyond capacity at the time of the crash, and whether such a factor may have played a part in the bus crash.
Nepali roads are notorious for their danger, as many of the roadways in Nepal are ill-kept and lacking in proper safety protocols. Bus travel in the country is especially perilous, as many buses fill themselves beyond legally advised capacity, often with passengers riding atop the bus or hanging alongside the bus, even as the bus is stuffed full within. This causes a weight differential that can make an otherwise stable bus roll over at an alarmingly easy rate.