INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, JULY 12Early this morning, two passenger buses went missing in the Trishuli River following landslides in
the Simaltal area along the Narayanghat-Mugling road section in Chitwan district.
Rescuers recover first body from 2 buses
that were hit by landslide and fell into Trishuli River
more than 50 people were swept into a river by a landslide in Nepal
The two buses, traveling through Simaltal in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-29, were swept away by the landslide into the
Trishuli River around 3:30 AM today.According to authorities, one bus, operated by Ganapati Deluxe, was heading to Gaur in Rautahat from
Kathmandu with around 41 passengers
The other bus, operated by Angel Deluxe, traveling to Kathmandu from Birgunj is said to have around 24 passengers on board.
Rescue efforts are underway with over 75 personnel from all three security forces, but heavy rain and high water levels in the Trishuli
River are hindering efforts, according to the authorities.
Security personnel deployed to
search for the missing busses in Simtal of Chitwan
Photo: RSS
A diving team from the Nepali Army and the Armed Police Force is searching for the buses, but they
have yet to locate any of the vehicles.The authorities have cleared the debris at the incident area and temporarily opened one-way traffic
However, continuously falling stones and landslide debris are making it difficult for traffic to resume unobstructed.Although the Simaltal
area was accessible, the Narayanghat-Mugling road section was blocked at the Kalikhola area, and authorities anticipated that it would take
several hours to normalize traffic flow
The Muglin-Narayangadh road section was later reopened after clearing the debris at Kalikhola around 1 pm today
Currently, traffic is flowing in one direction only, with authorities actively working to facilitate two-way traffic as quickly as
possible.
Security personnel engaged in search and rescue operations for passenger bus swept
away by landslide into the Trishuli River at Simtal of Chitwan
Photo: RSS
Three passengers traveling on the Ganapati Deluxe bus reportedly managed to save themselves by jumping
from the bus as it was being swept away
These survivors, from Dewahi Gonahi Municipality and Sisawa Dhamaura of Brindaban Municipality in Rautahat district, have been brought to
Narayanghat for treatment.Authorities are still working to identify the vehicles and passengers involved, but exact details have not yet
been confirmed.Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Firday morning took to social media 'X' to express profound sadness over the
disappearance of two buses swept away by a landslide in Simtal
He also lamented the loss of lives and property caused by floods and landslides throughout the country
Additionally, he instructed all government agencies, including the Home Administration, to undertake swift and effective measures to locate
and rescue the passengers.Nepal has been grappling with monsoon-related disasters over the past few days, resulting in loss of lives,
property damage, and widespread disruptions across the country
In Kaski district alone, 11 fatalities have been reported due to multiple landslide incidents that occurred last night.#13;As many as 38
people have lost their lives due to monsoon-related disasters in Gandaki Province this year, contributing to a total of 103 fatalities
nationwide from landslides and floods, as reported by police statistics collected
Additionally, 108 people have been injured, and six individuals remain missing.
According to police reports, the fatalities include one in
Kathmandu, 19 in Koshi, five in Madhesh Province, six in Bagmati, 38 in Gandaki, 23 in Lumbini, four in Karnali, and seven in Sudurpaschim
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com