The mishap took place on later Friday night at Bhalubang when a passenger bus plunged into the Rapti river in Lumbini province of Nepal, officials said.

Nepal News: Twelve people, including two Indian nationals, were killed while as many as 23 others sustained injuries in a bus accident in Dang District of mid-western Nepal. The mishap took place on later Friday night at Bhalubang when a passenger bus plunged into the Rapti river in Nepal’s Lumbini province, officials said.

They said that the bus was heading to Kathmandu from Nepalgunj when it veered off the Rapti bridge in Bhalubang and plunged into the river along the East-West Highway.

“The passenger bus was en route to Kathmandu from Banke’s Nepalgunj but it veered off the bridge and fell into the Rapti River. We only have ascertained the identity of eight deceased passengers, which includes two Indians,” Ujjwal Bahadur Singh, Chief Inspector of Police at the Area Police Office, Bhalubang, told news agency ANI over the phone.

The identities of eight victims, including the two Indians, has been ascertained, the official said, adding 23 people sustained injuries in the accident.

The deceased Indians have been identified as Yogendra Ram (67) from Malahi of Bihar and Mune (31) from Uttar Pradesh.

“The bodies of the deceased have been taken to Lamahi Hospital for postmortem,” the Chief Inspector added.

The injured have been rushed to a hospital in Nepalgunj.

“All the injured were rushed to the Nepalgunj Medical Teaching Hospital in Kohalpur for treatment,” said Deputy Inspector of Police Sundar Tiwari.

Police said that the reason behind the accident is not yet clear.

Bus driver Lal Bahadur Nepali, 28, has been taken into custody for investigation.

Further details are awaited.

(With inputs from agencies)