Caravan Insurance

The Nepalese city of Katmandu has been plunged into tragedy after a van carrying school children careered off a bridge.

The over-crowded vehicle was carrying around 24 children, between the ages of three and eleven, at the time of the accident.

It is believed that the van landed in a canal after it veered off the road when its steering system failed.

At least 13 of the children on board lost their lives, according to a police spokesman, and a further eight were injured.

A police and army search party trawled the canal looking for survivors who could have been swept away, but it was unclear if any were still unaccounted for.

Tragedies like this are all too common in Nepal, where many roads and vehicles are badly maintained, and motorists can operate a van without a special licence or even van insurance.

Adventurous holiday-makers, who may wish to hire a vehicle in a country like Nepal are strongly advised to seek advice from a motor insurance company based in the UK, before setting foot abroad.