Kathmandu. At least 17 people died and 24 others were injured when a passenger bus en route to Kathmandu from Pokhara met with an accident in Dhading district on Sunday morning.

The accident took place when a passenger bus (Ga 1 Kha 1421) plunged into the Trishuli River at Benighat Rorang rural municipality-5 of Dhading district at around 1.30 am today.

The bodies of 17 people killed in the accident have been retrieved so far, APF Spokesperson Bishnu Prasad Bhatta said. He said that 24 injured people were rescued and taken to different hospitals.

The identity of the deceased and injured is yet to be ascertained. The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained. Rescue operations are underway in coordination with all three security agencies.

A team of divers from the Disaster Management Training Academy, Kurintar, under the command of Deputy Superintendent of Armed Police Force Sunil Giri from APF Disaster Management Besh Adamghat has been mobilized to carry out the rescue operation.