UPDATE:
10:50 AM: The death toll has climbed to six.
Related story
One killed, 12 injured in bus accident
KAWASOTI, Oct 21: Six people killed and 51 were injured when a passenger bus skidded off the East-West Highway and plunged down into a gorge in East Nawalparasi Sunday morning.
The incident happened when the ill-fated bus (Lu 1 Kha 8454) en route to Bhairahawa from Itahari fell some 35 meters down the highway at Madhyabindu Municipality.
Police Inspector at the District Police Office Nawalpur, Ramesh Thapa, told Republica Online that five passengers died on the spot. "We are yet to ascertain the identity of those killed," he said.
Of the injured, 42 are receiving treatment in Bharatpur and nine are being treated in local medical center in Nawalpur.
