More than seven people have been killed and dozens injured in a passenger bus accident in mid-western district of Jajarkot in Nepal on Thursday evening, local media reported.

The local police said the bus, carrying over 50 passengers, veered off the mountainous highway and fell some 200 meters down the road in Bherimalika Municipality.

The number of deaths is yet to be ascertained as rescue efforts are underway.

The ill-fated bus was heading to a local town Khara from the district headquarters Khalanga, some 580 kilometers away from the capital city.

The team comprising Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepal Army are involved in search and rescue in the accident site.

The cause of the accident is still unclear. Road accidents are common in Nepal mostly due to poor and weak highways, syndicate in public transport system and outdated vehicles carrying maximum number of passengers.

In the last Nepalese fiscal year that ended in mid-July, 5,668 accidents were reported in total by the Traffic Police.

Source: Xinhua