A British national was among 19 people killed when a passenger bus plunged roughly 650 feet from a mountainous road into a ravine in western Nepal before dawn on Monday. The bus, carrying 44 passengers, was traveling from Pokhara to Kathmandu when it veered off the road at Behighat in Dhading district, about 50 miles west of the capital.
Senior police officer Prakash Dahal confirmed that 19 people died in the crash, while 25 others were injured and are receiving treatment. Authorities have so far identified nine of the victims. Among the injured are a New Zealander and a Chinese national, with Chinese state media reporting that another Chinese passenger had been missing.
Rescue operations were completed by dawn, according to Mohan Prasad Neupane from the district administration office. Investigations into the cause of the accident are underway.
Road accidents are tragically common in Nepal, where steep terrain, narrow highways, and poor road conditions contribute to hundreds of fatalities each year. Earlier this month, at least 13 people died when a bus carrying a wedding party fell off a mountain road in western Nepal, injuring 34 others.
In August 2024, 14 people were killed after a bus transporting Indian pilgrims tumbled 500 feet into a ravine near the Marsyangdi River, leaving 16 injured. Just weeks before that incident, two buses carrying 59 passengers were swept into a river by a landslide in Chitwan district.
Authorities continue to emphasize the urgent need for improved road safety measures in the mountainous nation. Narrow roads, unpredictable weather, and overworked drivers often create dangerous conditions for travelers.
The repeated tragedies highlight how vulnerable public transport is in Nepal’s hilly regions, where infrastructure improvements have lagged behind rising demand.
Officials have called for stricter vehicle inspections, driver training programs, and road maintenance initiatives to prevent further accidents, stressing that every improvement could save lives.