KATHMANDU, AUGUST 23:

At least 14 people have been killed, and 16 others have sustained injuries after an Indian bus plunged into the Marsyangdi River in Abu Khaireni, Tanahun district, today.

According to police, the bus with Indian registration number UP 53 FT 7623, lost control and veered off the road near Aina Pahara before falling some 150 meters down a steep cliff.

The bus, en route to Kathmandu from Pokhara, was carrying 43 passengers at the time of the accident and is currently stuck on the riverbank.

Authorities have deployed around 80 personnel from the Armed Police Force, including 10 divers, to search the river for missing passengers. The steep terrain is making it difficult for rescuers to reach the crashed bus.

Although 16 people have been rescued so far, authorities fear that the number o injured and fatalities will rise as the rescue operation continues.