At least 21 people, including two women, died when a bus plunged into Trishuli River in Nepal on Friday. Divers have rescued at least 16 passengers and efforts are under way to recover bodies. The victims are yet to be identified.
"Twenty-one people have died in the accident and 16 have been rescued," Chitwan district chief Binod Prakash Singh told AFP. The injured have been rushed to a local hospital.
The rescue workers are also conducting a search to ensure that no passengers are stuck inside the bus. Of the 21 people killed, 20 were declared dead on the spot while one person succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
The bus was bound for Pokhara in Kaski district from Gaur in Rautahat district. According to police, Trishuli River was swollen due to incessant rains.
Such accidents are common in Nepal due to poor infrastructure and maintenance of roads. Last week, at least 33 died and 28 were injured when a bus fell off a cliff near Deurali village in Nuwakot district.
Over 50 people have also been killed in landslides and floods, while at least 120 people are believed to be missing.
