NEW DELHI: Over 60 people have gone missing after a landslide swept away two passenger buses along the Madan-Ashrit highway in central Nepal early Friday morning.
Officials at the scene said the search and rescue operation is being obstructed by the swollen Trishuli River.
Indradev Yadav, chief district officer of Chitwan, confirmed, “As per the preliminary information both the buses were carrying a total of 63 people, including the bus drivers.The landslide swept the buses at around 3:30 am. We are at the incident site and a search operation is underway. Incessant rain is hampering our efforts to search for the missing buses.”
The landslide affected the Angel bus, which was heading to Kathmandu with 24 passengers, and the Ganpati Deluxe, which was traveling from Kathmandu to Gaur in Rautahat with 41 people on board. Three passengers from the Ganpati Deluxe managed to escape by jumping out of the vehicle.
In a statement on X, Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said, “I am deeply saddened by the reports of about five dozen passengers that are missing when bus was washed away by a landslide on the Narayangadh- Muglin road section and the loss of properties due to floods and landslides in different parts of the country. I direct all agencies of the government, including the home administration, to search and effectively rescue the passengers.”
Officials at the scene said the search and rescue operation is being obstructed by the swollen Trishuli River.
Indradev Yadav, chief district officer of Chitwan, confirmed, “As per the preliminary information both the buses were carrying a total of 63 people, including the bus drivers.The landslide swept the buses at around 3:30 am. We are at the incident site and a search operation is underway. Incessant rain is hampering our efforts to search for the missing buses.”
The landslide affected the Angel bus, which was heading to Kathmandu with 24 passengers, and the Ganpati Deluxe, which was traveling from Kathmandu to Gaur in Rautahat with 41 people on board. Three passengers from the Ganpati Deluxe managed to escape by jumping out of the vehicle.
In a statement on X, Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said, “I am deeply saddened by the reports of about five dozen passengers that are missing when bus was washed away by a landslide on the Narayangadh- Muglin road section and the loss of properties due to floods and landslides in different parts of the country. I direct all agencies of the government, including the home administration, to search and effectively rescue the passengers.”
Source Agencies
