Story highlights

NEW: 10 women and a child were among the dead, policy say

At least 35 pilgrims were killed, police say

10 people were rescued, according to police

Bus accidents are more common in other parts of Nepal

Kathmandu, Nepal CNN  — 

An overloaded bus in Nepal plunged into a canal on Sunday, killing at least 35 people, police said.

The dead included 10 women and a child, said Ram Dutta Joshi, deputy superintendent of police in Nawalparasi district, about 150 km (93 miles) southwest of Kathmandu.

Ten people were rescued from the site, he said.

It was not immediately known how many people were on the bus.

Most were Hindu pilgrims from India, on their way to bathe at Triveni, a confluence of three rivers, Joshi said.

Bus accidents are relatively rare in that region, filled largely with plains. They’re far more common in mountainous areas of the country, due to overcrowding, poor roads and inexperienced drivers.

Last year, 18 pilgrims died in an accident involving a large tractor in southeast Nepal.