KATHMANDU (AFP) - Two passenger buses collided in central Nepal in the early hours of Saturday, killing at least 10 people, including a Russian woman, the police said.

The buses crashed into each other along a national highway in Makwanpur district, 33km south of Kathmandu, said local police official Prakash Jung Karki. "The accident happened around 2.15am this morning. Ten people have died, including a Russian woman," Mr Karki told AFP.

Twenty-nine others - all Nepalese - suffered injuries in the crash and were receiving treatment at a nearby hospital, Mr Karki said.

Eight days earlier, a crowded bus plunged down a hill in a town outside Kathmandu, killing at least 14 people, including two Israelis.

Accidents are relatively common on Nepal's highways because of poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.