KATHMANDU, Nepal

The death toll in a bus accident in Nepal has climbed to 19, with a foreign national among the deceased.

The bus, traveling from Pokhara to Kathmandu, the country’s capital and most visited tourist destination, plunged into the Trishuli River in Dhading district, making it one of the deadliest bus accidents in recent months.

Nepal Police spokesman Prakash Dahal said one of the deceased was a British national, identified as Stewart Dominic Ethan.

Another foreigner, a New Zealand citizen named Mari Evade, sustained minor injuries in the accident and was discharged from the hospital after treatment.

Authorities have confirmed eight Nepalis among the deceased, while the identities of the remaining victims are still being verified.

Twenty-five injured passengers were taken to two hospitals in Kathmandu. Rescuers used boats to bring the injured from the river to the road before transporting them to the city by ambulance.

A preliminary investigation by Nepali police indicates that the bus fell roughly 200 meters from the roadside into the Trishuli River.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has formed an inquiry committee to investigate the cause of the accident and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.