At least 40 dead in Nepal bus plunge

At least 40 people were killed and another 30 wounded today when a bus plunged off a mountain road in western Nepal, police said.

The bus was travelling near the town of Tribeni, some 250 miles west of the Nepalese capital, Katmandu, when it skidded off the road, plunging about 250 yards into a ravine bellow, said local police officer K.C. Rambahadur.

Police are investigating the cause, he said. Deadly road accidents are common in Nepal, often caused by poor roads and ageing overcrowded vehicles.