At least 18 people died and more than two dozen others were injured after a passenger bus travelling from Pokhara to Kathmandu plunged into the Trishuli River in Nepal’s Dhading district early Monday. The bus, carrying more than 35 passengers, fell into the river near Gajuri along the Prithvi Highway, about 90 km west of Kathmandu, at around 1.15–1.30 am. The crash site is at Chinadhara near Charaundi in ward 3 of Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality. Chief of the District Traffic Police Office, Dhading, Shishir Thapa said the death toll has reached 18, reported the Kathmandu Post. Bishnu Prasad Bhatta, spokesperson at the Armed Police Force, said 17 bodies have been recovered from the accident site and 28 injured passengers were pulled out of the bus. Rajkumar Thakuri, chair of the Highway Rescue Management Committee, said the injured passengers have been sent to different hospitals for treatment. Personnel from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, Nepal Police and local residents are involved in the rescue operation. Authorities said the nighttime incident has made rescue efforts difficult. Among those killed was a male passenger from New Zealand. A Japanese woman and a Dutch woman were among those injured in the incident. Police said the exact cause of the crash has not yet been determined, but overspeeding is suspected to have led to the accident. Further details are awaited.
