A British national was among at least 19 people killed when a passenger bus plunged off a mountain highway into the Trishuli river in Nepal before dawn on Monday (23 February), authorities said. A New Zealander and a Chinese national were among those injured.

The bus, carrying 44 passengers, was travelling from the resort city of Pokhara to the capital, Kathmandu, when it veered off the Prithvi Highway. Police said the vehicle fell about 200 metres down a slope before landing on the riverbank shortly after 1.30am local time..

Among those killed was a 24-year-old British man, according to the Dhading district police office. Only nine of the victims have so far been identified.

At least 25 people were injured in the crash. A Chinese national is being treated at the National Trauma Centre in Kathmandu, while a 27-year-old woman from New Zealand sustained minor injuries and is recovering in a local hospital. Japanese and Dutch nationals were also reported among the injured.

Rescue personnel from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police were deployed to the scene and transported survivors to hospitals in Kathmandu.

Police said the exact cause of the crash has not yet been determined, though preliminary assessments suggest speeding may have been a factor.

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