A young New Zealand woman has been injured in Nepal after a bus plummeted off a mountain road as it travelled through the Himalayas, killing at least 19 people, including a British tourist. 

Police say the bus skidded off a mountain road and plunged into an icy river while en route from the tourist city of Pokhara to the capital city Kathmandu. It fell more than 200m into the Trishuli River in Dhading district early on Monday morning (local time). 

“Out of 44, in total 19 people died, and 25 are undergoing treatment,” senior police officer Prakash Dahal told AFP, confirming a British citizen was among the dead. 

One Chinese person and a 27-year-old Kiwi woman were among the injured, police said, with the New Zealander being treated at a local hospital after receiving minor injuries. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) confirmed a New Zealander had been involved in the deadly bus crash. 

“We are providing consular assistance to one New Zealander involved in a bus crash in Nepal,” a MFAT spokesperson said. 

Relatives of victims who were killed in the bus accident wait to receive bodies at a healthcare center in Gajuri, Dhading district. Photo / Sanjaya Shrestha / AFP 

“No further information can be provided for privacy reasons.” 

Mohan Prasad Neupane, information officer at the district administration office, said the rescue operation had been completed by dawn. 

“The injured are undergoing treatment.” 

In July 2024, two buses with more than 50 people on board were swept off the highway into the same river after a landslide. 

Deadly crashes are relatively common in the Himalayan republic because of poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving. 

- Agence France-Presse, additional reporting by NZ Herald