KATHMANDU; A bus crowded with holiday travelers veered off a remote mountain road in Nepal on Monday, killing at least 25 and critically injuring many more, police said.
The bus rolled about 300 meters (980 feet) from the road near Chatiwan village before getting stuck on trees, police official Dan Bahadur Karki said. The area is 400 kilometers (250 miles) northwest of the capital, Kathmandu.
The remote location meant it was taking time for rescue vehicles to reach the site. The wreckage also was on a slope, so it was difficult for rescuers to help the injured and pull out the bodies.
The injured people who have been pulled from the wreckage have been moved to hospitals. At least 25 of them are in critical condition, and officials said the death toll was likely to rise.
The bus was carrying nearly 100 people because Nepal is celebrating the two-week Dasain festival where people head home to celebrate with families and travel to visit relatives. Drunken driving is also common during this festival in Nepal.
Poor maintenance of roads and vehicles contributes to many accidents in mountainous Nepal.
Last week, two speeding buses collided on a busy highway, leaving at least five people killed and several more injured. The accident near the capital blocked a key highway for several hours as tens of thousands of people are travelling for the festival.