A celebration in western Nepal ended in catastrophe when a bus carrying wedding attendees veered off a mountain road and plunged into a deep gorge, leaving 13 people dead and 34 others injured.
The crash happened in West Nepal, according to ABC News and ETV Bharat. Reports say the bus dropped roughly 650 feet into a gorge near Budgaun village, about 310 miles west of Kathmandu.
Authorities said the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals and that victims’ bodies were recovered from the wreckage, per ABC News. Officials also warned that several passengers remain in critical condition, meaning the death toll could still rise.
Police have opened an investigation, but the cause of the crash was not immediately known, according to the outlet.
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ABC News reported the bus was traveling back to the groom’s home village after the wedding ceremony. The bride and groom were not on the bus and survived.
ETV Bharat reported that Inspector Baldev Badu of the Baitadi District Police Office said the youngest person killed was 13 years old. He added that six people died at the scene, while seven others later died at local hospitals. The driver was reportedly taken into custody, though no specific charges were mentioned.
The tragedy echoes another deadly wedding-related crash in January 2025, when a truck transporting wedding guests in Ethiopia’s Sidama state fell from a bridge, killing 71 people. Police at the time said the truck plunged into a river after missing the bridge on a long, winding road.
