KATHMANDU, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Three people died after a passenger sports utility vehicle (SUV) veered off a highway and plunged down a cliff in western Nepal's Dailekh district on Monday, police said.

The vehicle was carrying eight passengers, including the driver.

"Three victims were pronounced dead during treatment at a local hospital," Santosh Rokaya, spokesperson for the district police office, told Xinhua.

Five others were injured, including two in critical condition, he added.

Preliminary investigations suggest that brake failure may have caused the accident, according to police.