British national among at least 19 killed as passenger bus rolls off Nepal mountain slope

Officials say 25 people are injured, including two from New Zealand and China

The wreckage of a bus is seen on the bank of the Trishuli River after it drove off a mountain highway near Benighat, west of the capital, Kathmandu, Nepal (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

At least 19 people, including a British national, died after a packed passenger bus drove off a mountain slope in western Nepal on Monday, local police officials said.

The bus had left the tourist town of Pokhara before it fell 200m (650ft) from the road at Behighat in Dhading district, 80km (50 miles) west of the capital Kathmandu, police officials said in a statement. It rolled down a mountainous slope and landed on the banks of Trishuli river.

Around 44 people were onboard when it drove off the hilly stretch on the Prithvi highway. Officials said 25 people were injured in the accident, including a New Zealander and a Chinese national.

Of those killed, only nine bodies have been identified so far, the police said.

Preliminary visuals of the accident from the early hours showed rescuers sifting through the mangled iron remains of the bus to inspect the damage after pulling out passengers from the bus.

The wreckage of a bus is seen on the bank of the Trishuli River (AP)

The injured are being treated at the National Trauma Centre in Kathmandu, officials said.

The Chinese embassy in Nepal had issued a statement earlier saying that one other Chinese national was missing.

It is not immediately clear what caused the bus to drive off the highway and police officials are investigating the cause of the accident.

Regional government administrator Mohan Prasad Neupane said rescuers reached the accident site soon after the mishap was reported, and the injured were pulled out of the wreckage and rushed to hospitals for treatment.

The passenger bus drove off a mountain highway near Benighat, west of the capital Kathmandu (AP)

The hilly area has seen deadly accidents recently. In 2024, two buses with 65 people on board also fell into the same river and tragically resulted in the loss of most aboard. Authorities said that the passengers were either killed or are still missing.

Officials said the wreckage of one of the buses was found only this year and was buried deep in sand.

Nepal is a popular south Asian destination among foreigners for trekking in its mountainous regions and attracts thousands from across the world throughout the year. However, the country faces poor infrastructure issues on roads and vehicles to sustain the increasing footfall.

Much of the Himalayan country is covered by mountains and connected only by narrow roads.