Nepal bus crash kills at least 39 The passenger bus crashed in the Triveni river near Nawalparasi, Nepal, killing at least 39 people. Photograph: Kb Rana/EPA At least 39 people are dead after an overcrowded bus carrying Hindu pilgrims skidded off a wet road in southern Nepal. The driver lost control of the bus on the rain-slicked road and it plunged into a flooded irrigation canal, according to Nepalese police official Gyan Bikram Shah. Rescuers have recovered 39 bodies. Shah said the bus was so packed that some people were riding on the roof. Most of those on board were believed to be Indian nationals from the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh visiting Nepal on an annual pilgrimage to Hindu temples. However, the victims' identities are not yet clear because Indian citizens do not need to register when they cross into Nepal, Shah said. The driver is believed to have survived the crash but may have fled, Shah said. The crash site is about 100 miles (160km) south-west of the capital, Kathmandu.