Nepal bus blast leaves at least 38 dead

MAOIST insurgents were being blamed yesterday for detonating a powerful landmine beneath a crowded bus in rural Nepal, killing at least 38 people and wounding dozens more.

The bus was travelling on a rural road near the southern village of Badarmude when it was ripped apart by the explosion, army officials said.

Thirty-eight people died and 71 others were wounded, the official said.