Kathmandu  - At least seven people were killed and two others injured in a truck accident early Monday in western Nepal, police said.

The truck fell 50 metres off a highway in Palpa district, about 230 kilometres west of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, and plunged into the fast-flowing Tinau River, the police said.

The truck driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle on the narrow, winding mountain highway.

Police said seven people died instantly while two others were rushed to hospital in serious condition.

The main cause of the acident was overloading of the truck, which was carrying cargo to the nearby trown of Butwal, the police said.

The victims were people from the Tharu community who were returning home for a festival.

Police said they were investigating the accident and that the driver had absconded.

Hundreds of people are killed each year in road accidents across Nepal, blamed mostly on reckless driving and disregard for safety measures. (dpa)