The bus veered off the road and plunged 400 meters down into the Simrutu river. [break]
Two of those killed have been identified as 10-year-old Kamal Yari and 55-year-old Birkha Biswokarma, both of Syalkhadi-1, and Prem Prakash Malla of Syalapakha VDC.
Their dead bodies have been kept at the district hospital morgue. Bus driver Madhav KC of Tulsipur-6, Dang, who was drink driving, was among the 66 injured, according to Inspector Kishore Shrestha.
Of those injured, 13 are critical and have been taken to Nepalgunj in a Nepal Army chopper. Efforts are underway to bring the rest of the injured to Kathmandu, according to Shrestha. He said the bus was overloaded. Those injured are resident of Dang, Banke, Kathmandu, Surkhet, Salyan and Kavre.
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