Three Indian nationals died and 19 others were injured when two passenger buses collided head-on at Gaidakot section of the East-West Highway in Nawalparasi district early Friday morning.

The deceased have been identified as Phoolmati Soni, 50, Ram Shanker Pandey, 96, and his wife  Naharaniya Devi Pandey, 96. The three were from Madhya Pradesh state of India, reports quoted police as saying. While Phoolmati died on the spot, the elderly Pandey couple died during treatment at Bharatpur Medical College, Chitwan.

Although most of the injured are said to be Indians, four Nepalis also got injured in the accident, reports said.

Those injured are currently undergoing treatment at Bharatpur Medical College. The condition of three among them is said to be very critical. The accident occurred when the Indian passenger bus (MT 19 H 2334) which was heading for Madhya Pradesh state of India from the capital collided with a passenger bus (Na 3 Kha 370) coming from the opposite direction at Gaidakot at early hours of the morning.

Meanwhile, another passenger bus has gone missing after it skidded off the road and fell down into the fast-flowing Trishuli River at Benighat of Dhading district on Thursday evening.

The bus with registration no Na 3 Kha 703 was en route to Kathmandu from Katari of Udaypur.

It is not known yet how many passengers were traveling in the bus at the time of accident. nepalnews.com