According to army officials, the van rolled about 200 meters below the road before dawn near Shaileshikar village.

Kathmandu: Eight people died and four others were injured after a passenger van veered off a mountain road in the west. Nepal early friday

According to army officials, the van rolled about 200 meters below the road before dawn near Shaileshikar village, about 600 km west of Kathmandu. The incident occurred when they were returning in a van after attending a festival in a nearby town.

The military said it used a helicopter to rescue the four injured and airlifted them to a hospital for treatment. It was not clear what caused the crash. Nepal is covered in mountains where the roads are narrow and poorly maintained and the weather conditions of autumn and winter also make driving difficult and dangerous.