Langtang National Park in Nepal. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Less than two weeks after four Israelis were killed in an avalanche in Nepal, two Israeli tourists and at least nine other people reportedly died Friday when a bus fell down a mountainside en route from the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, to the Langtang National Park.

According to local authorities, three “foreigners” were among the dead. More than 60 people had been on the bus, which plummeted about 330 feet off the road down a steep slope. Police were investigating the cause of the accident, which occurred about 30 miles west of Kathmandu. Poor maintenance of roads and vehicles contributes to many accidents in mountainous Nepal.

An initial investigation suggested, however, that the bus may have been overcrowded, which may have led to its fall. Local media outlets reported that some of the passengers had been traveling on the roof of the bus due to lack of space.