Nepal, Jan. 13 -- At least 12 people died and 23 others were injured after a passenger bus plunged into the Rapti river in Dang district on Friday.

According to the police, the bus, heading to Kathmandu from Hetauda, veered off the Rapti bridge in Bhalubang and plunged into the river along the East-West Highway at around 10pm on Friday.

As of 1am on Saturday, five passengers died in the course of treatment while the bodies of seven others were recovered from the accident site.

The deceased have been identified as 60-year-old Kusum Basnet, Hetauda-local Saurabh Bista, 65-year-old Tara Kanta Pandey of Chandragiri, Mun Bahadur Rawat, 40, 30-year-old Rambaran Harichand, and 25-year-old Deepak Kami.

Two Indian nationals-Mune, 31, and 67-ye...