KATMANDU, Nepal - Twenty-five Buddhist pilgrims died when a bus plunged down a mountain and into a river in western Nepal, an official said Tuesday.
Rescuers fished out eight more bodies from the murky waters of Rapti river Tuesday, increasing the death toll to 25, Home Ministry official Lal Bahadur Kawari said.
The overcrowded bus was carrying Buddhist pilgrims to a religious fair when it crashed Monday near Bhaluwang town, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Katmandu.
Rescuers managed to save 38 passengers, police chief Deepak Kumar Thapa said.
Police were still investigating the cause of the accident.
Accidents in Nepal are often caused by poorly maintained roads and overcrowded vehicles. It is common for passengers to travel on bus roofs.
"The people who survived the crash were mostly the ones traveling on the roof. Many of them inside were not lucky to jump out," Thapa said. - AP