33 killed as bus veers off mountain road in Nepal

At least 33 people have died and 28 others were injured when an overcrowded bus veered off a mountain road in Nepal.

The bus left Arniko highway and rolled about 150 metres (500ft), with parts of the vehicle and luggage scattered on the forested slopes below.

Army and police rescuers were still combing the slopes near Deurali village, 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of the capital.

The injured were brought by helicopter to Kathmandu and are being treated in two hospitals, home ministry official Chiranjivi Nepal said.

Bus crashes are generally blamed on poorly maintained roads and vehicles in Nepal. Most of the crashes happen during the rainy monsoon season that begins in June and ends in September.