Over three dozen persons are feared dead when a passenger bus plunged into a river Sunday morning, Nepali police said.

The bus, plying from Malangawa in Sarlahi district to Kathmandu,fell into the Trishuli river near Rigdi Khola on the Narayangarh-Mugling road, 100 km southwest of Kathmandu, said an officer at the Chitwan District Police Office.

"Three persons died on the spot and five others were injured, among them the condition of three is said to be serious," the officer said on condition of anonymity.

The injured were admitted to a hospital in Bharatpur city, he noted, adding that " but the condition of around three dozen passengers is not known."

The bus plunged into the river to give side to another vehicle,while the road is under construction and the vehicles were permitted to ply turn by turn, he said.

Police, local people and army personnel have launched the rescue operation and the bus has not been taken out of water so far, he added.

Source: Xinhua