The bus was en route from the tourist hub of Pokhara to the capital, Kathmandu, when it plunged off the Prithvi Highway shortly after midnight, police said.
The vehicle tumbled down a mountainside before coming to rest on the banks of the Trishuli River near Benighat, about 80 kilometers west of Kathmandu.
Authorities said dozens of passengers were on board at the time of the crash. Among the victims was a 24-year-old British citizen, according to the Dhading district police office. So far, only nine of the deceased have been identified.
Those injured include a Chinese national, who is receiving treatment at the National Trauma Center in Kathmandu, and a 27-year-old woman from New Zealand who sustained minor injuries and is being treated at a local hospital.
China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, quoting the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, reported earlier that another Chinese national remained missing.
Rescue teams reached the scene shortly after the accident and pulled survivors from the wreckage before transporting them to nearby hospitals, said government administrator Mohan Prasad Neupane.
Police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
Road accidents involving buses are frequent in Nepal, often attributed to poor road conditions and inadequate vehicle maintenance. The mountainous Himalayan nation relies heavily on narrow, winding roads for transportation.
The bus came to rest along the bank of the fast-flowing Trishuli River. In 2024, two buses carrying 65 passengers plunged into the same river, with most of those on board either killed or still missing.
The wreckage of one of those buses was recovered only this year after being buried deep under sand.
