18 killed, several injured as bus plunges into gorge in Nepal
PTC News Desk: At least 18 people were killed after a passenger bus plunged into the Trishuli River near Gajuri in Dhading District, Nepal, in the early hours of Monday.
The bus, which was travelling to Kathmandu from Pokhara, fell into the river along the Prithvi Highway, about 90 km west of Kathmandu, at around 1.30 am. According to Bishnu Prasad Bhatta, spokesperson for Nepal’s Armed Police Force, 17 bodies have been recovered so far, while 26 injured passengers were rescued from the accident site.
The injured have been admitted to various hospitals for treatment. Personnel from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police were deployed to carry out rescue operations.
Among those killed was a male passenger from New Zealand. A Japanese woman and a Dutch woman were among the injured, authorities said.
Police indicated that speeding may have been the cause of the accident.
- With inputs from agencies
