MOSCOW, January 12 (RIA Novosti) - At least 30 people died and 13 were injured after a bus crashed off the road in western Nepal on Saturday morning, local media reported.

The accident happened at around 3 a.m. local time on the Doti-Chhatiwan section of the Bhimdatta Highway in the far west of the mountainous country, local police told NepalNews.com.

The bus left the road at a height of around 2,000 feet (600 meters) up.

Rescuers from the Nepal Police and army have reached the scene, and the injured have been taken to hospital.

Rescue efforts are being hampered by severe cold and fog. Police say the weather conditions may have contributed to the accident, The Himalayan Times reported.

Fatal road accidents involving buses are a common occurrence in Nepal, where narrow and often poorly-maintained roads wind through steep mountains, and transport vehicles are not always in good condition.