Kathmandu, Aug 9 (IANS) A bus carrying three dozen people heading for Nepali capital Kathmandu skidded off a highway and plunged into a river on Friday, killing at least five people, authorities said.

The bus was travelling from Malangwa, the headquarters of Sarlahi district. It skidded off the Prithvi Highway that connects Kathmandu with the southern plains and plunged into Trishuli River.

"Five dead bodies were recovered while 16 others rescued alive from the water," chief district officer of Dhading, Bhagirath Pandey, told Xinhua news agency.

Three dead bodies were recovered on the spot while two other bodies were found two km far from the crash site, Pandey said.

He said over a dozen people are missing in the incident and a disaster rescue team of the Armed Police Force has been searching for them.

Rescuers on rubber boats and police divers managed to spot the bus five hours after the crash, said reports.

--IANS soni/