Efforts to locate two buses missing after a landslide in Nepal remain unsuccessful. The incident occurred early Friday morning along the Narayangadh-Mugling road section, where a landslide near Bharatpur Municipal-29 Simaltal swept the buses into the Trishuli River.
Search and rescue teams comprised of Armed Police Force Nepal, Nepali Army divers, and Nepal Police have been deployed since the incident. However, challenging conditions including high water pressure, murky water, and the possibility of the buses being buried in riverbank debris are hampering progress.
Officials report that divers have searched a 200-meter stretch downstream from the accident site, with no sign of the buses or any passengers. SSP Madhav Paudel of the Disaster Management School at the Armed Police Force Kurintar leads a 70-person search team.
Due to the challenging conditions, alternative search methods are being employed. These include throwing magnets and hooks into the river, as well as utilizing long bamboo sticks and rods.
The missing buses are identified as Bagmati Pradesh-03-006 Kha 1516 Angel Deluxe traveling from Birgunj to Kathmandu and Bagmati Pradesh-03-001 Kha 2495 carrying passengers from Kathmandu to Gaur. The exact number of passengers onboard remains unclear, with estimates around 65.
Three passengers reportedly managed to swim to safety following the incident.
The search operation is ongoing, with authorities determined to locate the missing buses and passengers.
