People gather along the wreckage of a bus after it veered off a hilly road in Jajarkot, Nepal March 9, 2017. Picture taken on March 9, 2017. Image Credit: Reuters

An overcrowded bus veered off a hilly road in west Nepal killing 25 people and injuring dozens on Thursday, police said.

The bus, packed with villagers, fell 200 metres (650 feet) into a river in Jajarkot, 250 km (220 miles) west of Kathmandu.

The injured were evacuated to a local hospital, police official Hari Bhakta said.

The cause of the incident was not immediately known. Road crashes, which are common in Nepal, are blamed on poor road conditions and ill maintained vehicles.

Nepalese army personnel assists a victim after an overcrowded bus veered off a hilly road in Jajarkot, Nepal March 9, 2017. Image Credit: Reuters
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