A 24-year-old British man is among 19 people who were killed in a bus crash in Nepal, police say.

The bus - which had been carrying tourists - had been travelling to the capital, Kathmandu, when it lost control and fell 200m onto the bank of the Trishuli river, in the country’s central Dhading district, in the early hours of Monday morning.

There were 44 people onboard including the driver, 25 of whom suffered injuries. The bus had been travelling from Pokhara, a popular tourist spot.

Authorities say they are investigating the cause of the incident. The UK Foreign Office said it was assisting the family of the Briton who was killed.

Nepalese police said they had so far identified nine of the bodies.

The Chinese embassy in Nepal said a one of its citizen was among the dead, citing local police reports, though this has yet to be confirmed by Nepalese authorities.

Among the injured is a Chinese national and a New Zealander, Nepalese police said.

All the injured have been taken to hospitals in the capital, they added.

Police spokesman Abinarayan Kafle said 17 people died at the scene, with two more dying while receiving treatment, BBC Nepali reported.

Road accidents are relatively commonplace in Nepal, due to a range of factors including poor road maintenance and narrow paths in mountainous areas.

In 2024, at least 14 people died after a bus travelling from Pokhara to Kathmandu fell into the Marsyangdi river in the Tanahun district.

“We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Nepal and are in contact with the local authorities,” a Foreign Office spokesman told the BBC.

Nepal is a popular destination for many international visitors, especially climbers, who travel there to access a key section of the Himalaya mountain range that includes Mount Everest.

Home to eight of the world’s tallest peaks, mountaineering is a significant source of revenue for the country - in 2024, climbing fees brought in $5.9m (£4.4m).

Source: BBC

- Agencies