Nepal Bus Tragedy: 11 Bodies, Including 3 Of Indians, Recovered; Search On For Rest

Two buses on the key highway connecting Nepal's capital to southern parts of the country were swept away Friday morning near Simaltal, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kathmandu.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 15 July 2024 11:22 am

Rescue operation underway after two buses were swept away by a landslide and pushed into a swollen river at Simaltal area along the Narayanghat-Mugling road in Chitwan district, Nepal. Photo: PTI

Eleven bodies were recovered from the Trishuli river that swept two buses carrying 65 people in Nepal last week due to a landslide, officials said on Monday. The bodies were found in different locations on the riverbanks as the search continues for the missing buses and people on board. Of the 11 bodies recovered, seven have been identified.

Three of the dead are Indians and the remaining four are Nepali nationals, officials said. Government administrator Khima Nanda Bhusal said the bodies were identified and relatives contacted, as per an Associated Press report.

Till Sunday five bodies, including that of three Indians, were recovered during the search operation. Body of one of the three Indian nationals - Rishipal Shah (28) - was found on Saturday from the accident site, while the other two were recovered on Sunday.

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Rishipal Shah was originally from the Rajmunuwa area of Bihar's Motihari city and used to live and work in Nepal, My Republica quoted his brother as saying. The bodies of Prakash Thakur, 30, and Sajad Ansari, 30, were recovered on Sunday.

The buses were on the key highway connecting Nepal's capital to southern parts of the country when they were swept away Friday morning near Simaltal, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kathmandu.

There were seven Indian nationals and 17 Nepalese in the bus heading towards Kathmandu from Birgunj. There were 30 people in another bus heading towards Rautahat from Kathmandu.

More than 500 security personnel including Nepal Army and Nepal Police personnel have been mobilised for the past three days to carry out search operations. However, the wreckage of the buses has not yet been located.

The Armed Police Force (APF) deployed a water drone to find the missing buses in the Trishuli River, the MyRepublica news portal reported.

The APF said on Sunday although the volume of water in the river was high, the search operation was ongoing. The security personnel have been carrying out the search using drone cameras, sonar cameras and other equipment.

"All possible locations will be searched and we will put all our best efforts into search and rescue," news agency PTI quoted DSP Shailendra Thapa, co-spokesperson of APF, as saying.

Nepal is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the climate crisis and has witnessed multiple extreme weather events over the past decade and a half.