British, Chinese nationals among 19 killed, dozens injured in massive Nepal bus accident

At least 19 passengers of a bus reportedly died and dozens were injured after the vehicle drove off a mountain highway in Nepal early Monday. The bus was on its way to Nepal's capital Kathmandu.

There were dozens of people on board the bus, which was heading from the resort city of Pokhara to Kathmandu when it drove off the Prithvi highway after midnight, police said, according to Associated Press (AP) news agency.

The bus reportedly rolled down a mountain slope and landed on the banks of Trishuli river near Benighat, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Kathmandu.

A 24-year-old British national is among the fatalities, according to the AP report, which cited a statement from the Dhading district police office. Only nine bodies were identified by 1 pm on Monday.

Among the injured is a Chinese national, who was admitted to the National Trauma Center in Kathmandu, and a 27-year-old woman from New Zealand who received minor injuries and was being treated at a local hospital. China's official Xinhua News Agency, citing the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, reported earlier that one other Chinese national was missing.