38 killed, dozens wounded, after bus hits rebel land mine

Maoist insurgents detonated a powerful land mine beneath a crowded bus today in rural Nepal, killing at least 38 people and wounding dozens more in one of the bloodiest attacks against civilians since the insurgency broke out nearly a decade ago, officials said.

The attack came with no warning in an area many believed to be relatively safe from insurgent attacks, and it was unclear why the bus was targeted.