KATHMANDU: As many as 40 Nepali pilgrims on board a hired bus sustained injuries in a road accident in Varanasi of India, today.

According to Indian media reports, the driver rammed the bus with 46 passengers into a road divider in a bid to save a speeding bike rider.

The injured pilgrims from Biratnagar, Morang and Duhabi in Sunsari District were rushed to the Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya hospital in Varanasi by Indian law enforcement officers promptly following the incident.

They were on a 12-religious trip to India and had visited the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and were slated to visit Mirzapur, Allahabad and Agra, media reports quoted IANS.