KATHMANDU, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and 10 others were injured after a passenger sports utility vehicle veered off a highway in Nepal's far-western Bajhang district on Saturday afternoon, a senior government official said.

The vehicle plunged down a slope, killing three people on the spot, Mukesh Kumar Keshari, chief district officer of Bajhang, told Xinhua.

"Of the 10 injured, five are in critical condition," he said, adding that authorities were still verifying the total number of passengers on board.

A helicopter was mobilized to airlift the injured for further treatment.

The accident could have been caused by slippery road conditions following continuous rainfall, said Deepak Bista, spokesperson for the district police.