File photo: CGTN

KATHMANDU, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 21 Chinese tourists were injured in a bus accident in Chitwan district in central Nepal on Friday morning, the police confirmed.

The bus set off from the capital to Chitwan's popular tourism spot of Sauraha located within the Chitwan National Park on Friday morning, then collided with a moving truck in Ramnagar of Bharatpur municipality and knocked a roadside house at around 11:00 a.m. local time.

"Over 30 people sustained injuries in the accident, while two Nepali nationals died later in the course of treatment. The Chinese tourists have received general injuries," Ek Narayan Koirala, deputy superintendent at District Police Office Chitwan, told Xinhua over phone.

The officer said the identities of the two deceased passengers are yet to be ascertained.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Nepal said all together 25 Chinese citizens were slightly injured in the accident, adding the embassy has directed relevant authorities to provide assistance to the injured tourists.

Dr Asish Bhattarai, in-charge at emergency department at Chitwan Medical College Teaching Hospital, told Xinhua that the Chinese patients are undergoing treatment for general injuries, and that "their state is not severe, everyone is safe."

The medical officer said the Chinese patients might be discharged from the hospital after a couple of hours.

District Police Office Chitwan said over-speeding of the vehicle might be the cause of the accident. However, an investigation report is yet to come out.

The rainy weather could be another reason for the accident, as there has been a moderate rainfall across the country since Thursday night.

Over-crowded vehicles, poorly-maintained roads and shoddy conditions of public vehicles have led to frequent road accidents in recent years in Nepal.

According to the Nepal Police, more than 22,000 people lost their lives in the past 10 years in road accidents.