KATHMANDU, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 people were killed and 27 others injured in a road accident in western Nepal's Dadeldhura district on Thursday, local authorities said.
Chief Officer at the District Administration Office Mohanraj Joshi said that the incident happened when the ill-fated bus veered off the mountain road and plunged down some 300 meters down into a river at Amargadhi municipality.
"Ten people died on the spot and six others breathed their last in course of treatment in hospital. The injured are receiving treatment," Joshi told Xinhua by phone from the crash site.
The victims were returning to their homes after participating in Ugratara Jatra, a locally celebrated cultural fair in the district.
Authorities said the death toll might increase as the rescue operation was being carried out by the police and local residents.
Poor condition of roads, drunk-driving, over-speeding, and ill-maintained vehicles are blamed for frequent road accidents in the mostly mountainous country.
