At least 63 people were reported missing in Nepal on Friday after heavy monsoon rains triggered a landslide that swept two buses off a highway and into a river, authorities confirmed.
Search and rescue teams, comprising numerous personnel, were actively scouring the area for survivors of the incident in the central district of Chitwan, as detailed by district official Khimananda Bhusal to AFP.
Bhusal indicated that the buses were carrying a combined total of at least 66 passengers, with three individuals managing to escape before the buses plunged into the Trishuli river. Those who escaped are currently receiving medical treatment in a hospital.
“We are uncertain about the exact count because the buses may have picked up additional passengers along the way,” Bhusal stated. “The river is swollen, and no other survivors have been located yet.”
The tragic event occurred along the Narayanghat-Mugling highway, approximately 100 kilometers west of Kathmandu, around 3:30 am local time on Friday.
One bus was traveling from Kathmandu to Gaur in Rautahat district, southern Nepal, while the other was en route to Kathmandu from southern Birgunj.
In another incident on the same route, a bus driver lost his life when a boulder struck his vehicle. He succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical care at a hospital.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed sorrow over the accident in a social media post on X, directing all government agencies, including law enforcement, to undertake comprehensive search and rescue efforts for the passengers.
Nepal frequently witnesses deadly accidents due to poorly constructed roads, inadequate vehicle maintenance, and reckless driving. Government statistics reveal that nearly 2,400 individuals lost their lives on Nepali roads in the 12 months leading up to April.
During January of this year, twelve people died and 24 were injured when a bus traveling from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu plunged into a river.
Travel by road becomes particularly perilous during the annual monsoon season, when rains trigger landslides and floods throughout the mountainous country.
Monsoon rains, occurring from June to September, provide relief from summer heat and are crucial for replenishing water supplies, yet they also bring widespread devastation and loss of life.
The unpredictability and intensity of monsoon rainfall are exacerbated by climate change, according to scientists, resulting in stronger and more erratic weather patterns.
Since the onset of the monsoon in June, floods, landslides, and lightning strikes have claimed the lives of 88 people across Nepal, according to police reports.
