Bodies Recovered as Search for Landslide-Swept Buses Continues in Central Nepal

Two bodies were recovered from Narayani River as search efforts for missing buses swept away by a landslide in Central Nepal continue. Divers will resume operations tomorrow, aided by security personnel and advanced equipment. Both Indian and Nepali nationals are among the victims.

The bodies of an Indian and a Nepali national were recovered from the embankments of the Narayani River on Saturday, as the search continues for two passenger buses swept away by a landslide in Central Nepal. Divers called off the day's search operation at nightfall and will resume tomorrow morning. Earlier on Saturday afternoon, the body of an Indian national identified as Hrishipal Sah was recovered from Golaghat in Chitwan, about 50 kilometers downstream from where the vehicles were swept into the river by the landslide.

'The brother of Hrishipal Sah identified the body. The body has been brought to Bharatpur Hospital and will be handed over to the family upon completion of the procedures. Debit cards issued from two banks in Nepal and the Aadhar Card were also retrieved from his body,' said Indradev Yadav, the Chief District Officer of Chitwan, speaking to ANI over the phone. On Saturday, the police also recovered two more bodies from the embankments of the Narayani River, suspected to be passengers who were onboard the ill-fated vehicles. One of the bodies has been confirmed to be that of a Nepali national named Ramit Kishor Majhi, according to Chief District Officer Yadav.

'Father of Ramit Kishor Majhi, a passenger on board the vehicle that has gone missing since Friday morning, identified the body later this evening,' added Yadav. According to the District Police Office, Chitwan, one of the bodies found today was floating in the river, while the other was buried in sand. DSP Beshraj Rijal of the District Police Office in Chitwan stated that the bodies were discovered during the search operation.

The Chief District Officer mentioned that the country's entire available resources and manpower trained in water-induced disasters have been used in the search operation. However, the location of the vehicles, the exact number of passengers aboard, and their details remain unknown. 'The search operations will resume tomorrow morning as it has gone dark and the water level in the river also has continued to rise,' added Yadav.

In a notice issued, the District Administration announced that personnel from security agencies will search the river 50 kilometers downstream, utilizing larger magnets, drones, and sonar equipment. Additionally, a new search area near the religious site of Devghat has been identified, where searchers and divers will swim upstream, accompanied by another team searching downstream for the missing buses.

At least five dozen people went missing after two passenger buses—the Kathmandu-bound Angel Deluxe Bus and a Ganapati Deluxe Bus, en route to Gaur of Rautahat district from Kathmandu—were swept away by a landslide into the rain-swollen Trishuli River near Simaltal along the Narayanghat-Mugling road section at around 3:30 am on Friday. Personnel and divers from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police have been deployed to search for the missing buses.