Twelve people were killed and eight others injured when a passenger bus plunged into the Tamakoshi river in Manthali Municipality of Ramechhap district on Tuesday.

The bus, operated by Araniko Yatayat with registration number 001-05 Kha 9975, was heading to Okhaldhunga from Kathmandu via Manthali-Khurkot road stretch when it swerved off the road near Benighat bridge at around 10:40 am and plunged into the river. The rescuers later recovered the submerged vehicle and passengers from the river. The vehicle fell several metres off the road before plunging into the water.

According to the District Police Office in Ramechhap, 12 passengers—seven men and five women—died in one of the deadliest road accidents in the district in recent years. Twenty people, including the driver, were rescued and rushed to Manthali Hospital and Shubh Jeevan Hospital in Khurkot, Sindhuli.

Doctors at Manthali Hospital later pronounced 12 victims dead. Police Inspector Rajan Prasad Timsina said nine of the deceased had been identified by Tuesday evening, while efforts were ongoing to confirm the identities of the remaining victims.

Police confirmed that four of the deceased were from ward 7 of Likhu Tamakoshi Rural Municipality. Bhim Bahadur Tamang, his wife Sanumaya Tamang, Tara Tamang, and Ramita Tamang died in the tragedy.

According to family members, Tara and Ramita were travelling with their young sons, whose whereabouts remained unknown as of Tuesday evening, prompting continued search operations in the river.

Other deceased have been identified as Babi Tamang and Man Bahadur Tamang of Bhimeshwar Municipality in Dolakha district, Dipesh Basnet and Dipendra Basnet from ward 4 Likhu Tamakoshi Rural Municipality in Ramechhap, and Shiva Shrestha from ward 6 of Golanjor Rural Municipality in Sindhuli. The identity of the remaining deceased is yet to be ascertained, said police.

Eight others, including five men and three women, were injured. The bus driver, Sushant Thapa Magar, sustained minor injuries and has been kept under police supervision following treatment. Seven of the injured were referred to Kathmandu for further treatment.

Security personnel from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force, along with local people, mobilised immediately after the accident to rescue the victims. Divers continued searching in the river amid concerns that additional passengers, including at least two missing children, may still be unaccounted for.

Police said the cause of the accident has yet to be determined, and an investigation is underway.