Kathmandu - At least six people were killed and nearly 50 others injured when an overcrowded bus smashed into a roadside electricity pole in western Nepal, police said Friday.

The bus, carrying nearly 80 people, crashed into the pole and overturned in Gorkha district, about 130 kilometres west of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.

Passengers included dozens of students on their way to a cultural festival in the town of Gorkhabazar.

Police said at least 18 of the 48 injured were in serious condition and were airlifted to Kathmandu for medical treatment.

Police quoted witnesses as saying the bus was speeding and the driver lost control on a sharp bend on the mountainous highway.

Police said they had launched an investigation but the driver had fled.

Hundreds of people are killed each year in road accidents in Nepal involving public transport, blamed mostly on careless driving. (dpa)