Nepal bus plunge kills 14 people

A bus has veered off a mountain road in Nepal and plunged into a river, killing at least 14 passengers and leaving several more missing, police say.

The bus plunged from the road after midnight in Chitwan district, about 160km (100 miles) west of Kathmandu.

Rescue crews are hunting for bodies and survivors, but they are hampered by a high river flooded with monsoon rain.

It is thought the bus was carrying more than 50 passengers, of whom 26 have been so far been rescued.

The police say the death toll could rise.

"Half of the bus is still submerged inside the river. There might be some more bodies stuck inside the bus," police officer Rabindra Bahadur Singh told AFP news agency.

Road accidents are common in Nepal and claim hundreds of lives every year.