At least 11 people died and dozens were injured when a passenger bus en route from Bhotsipa of Indravati to Kathmandu veered off the road at Tirkhumod in Sindupalchok on Friday.

Police suspect brake fail could have resulted in the accident.

Read: Why are there so many road accidents during Dashain?

Five persons died on the spot, one died on the way to the hospital and five died at Dhulikhel hospital, according to police. Condition of some of the injured passengers is serious, said the police.

The exact number of passengers on the bus at the time of the accident is still unknown, but the police suspect that the bus may have been overcrowded.

More than 40 passengers were rescued and taken to hospitals by locals and Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel. Of them, 13 were airlifted by a Nepal Army helicopter and 10 were flown by a privately operated chopper to Kathmandu. They are being treated at the National Trauma Centre, according to the Army.

Among the dead, 10 have been identified as the driver Kedar Mahaju, Sangita Purkuti, Hira Shrestha, Binod Lamsal, Ritesh Acharya, Jumadevi Shrestha, Subas Adhikari, Ganesh Tamang, Mina Magar and Sumita Purkoti.

Bad and narrow roads, especially in the hill districts, and poorly maintained vehicles often lead to crashes in Nepal. Accidents, however, happen more frequently during festival times due to travel rush. Oftentimes, buses are overcrowded, which also results in accidents.