KATHMANDU: At least 19 people were killed when a passenger bus skidded off a mountain road and plunged into an icy river in Nepal on Monday, police said.

The bus, travelling from Pokhara to the capital Kathmandu, fell more than 200 metres into the Trishuli River in Dhading district in the early hours of the morning.

Senior local police officer Prakash Dahal said that out of 44 people on board, 19 had died while 25 were undergoing treatment. He confirmed that a British citizen was among the deceased.

He added that one Chinese national and one New Zealander were injured, without providing further details.

Mohan Prasad Neupane, information officer at the district administration office, said the rescue operation had been completed by dawn and that the injured were receiving medical care.

In July 2024, two buses carrying more than 50 passengers were swept into the same river following a landslide. Deadly road accidents are relatively common in the Himalayan nation due to poor road conditions, inadequately maintained vehicles and reckless driving.