The Kathmandu-bound bus (Ga 1 Kha 1421), en route from Pokhara, veered off the road and fell approximately 300 meters into the river, according to The Himalayan Times.

A total of 44 people were on board at the time of the accident. The deceased included 11 men and six women. So far, 26 passengers have been rescued from the damaged vehicle and transported to hospitals for treatment.

Security personnel from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force, along with local residents, carried out the rescue operation, the newspaper reported.

The exact cause of the mishap is still not known.

Armed Police Force spokesperson Bishnu Prasad Bhatta told Khabarhub that 17 bodies have been recovered from the accident site so far.

Pokhara, a metropolitan city in central Nepal and the capital of Gandaki Province, attracts a large number of tourists each year, including many from India.