A tragic bus accident in Nepal’s central Dhading district has resulted in the deaths of 19 individuals, including a 24-year-old British national, according to local authorities. The devastating incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning when the tourist vehicle lost control while en route to Kathmandu from the popular resort town of Pokhara.
The vehicle plummeted approximately 200 meters onto the banks of the Trishuli River, carrying 44 people including the driver. Twenty-five passengers sustained various injuries and were transported to medical facilities in the capital for treatment. Among the injured were citizens of China and New Zealand, highlighting the international scope of the tragedy.
Police spokesperson Abinarayan Kafle confirmed through BBC Nepali that 17 fatalities occurred at the accident scene, with two additional passengers succumbing to their injuries during emergency treatment efforts. Identification procedures remain ongoing, with only nine victims formally identified thus far.
Nepalese authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances leading to the catastrophic accident. The UK Foreign Office has been notified and is expected to provide consular assistance to affected British nationals.
This incident underscores the persistent transportation safety challenges in Nepal’s mountainous regions, where inadequate road maintenance and narrow passageways contribute to frequent accidents. The tragedy bears grim resemblance to a similar 2024 incident in Tanahun district, where 14 passengers died when a bus traveling the same Pokhara-Kathmandu route fell into the Marsyangdi River.