Rescue Efforts Continue in Nepal for 51 Missing After Landslide Sweeps Buses Into River
Rescuers in Nepal search for 51 missing passengers and crew after a landslide swept buses into a swollen river in Chitwan district. Hopes for finding survivors diminish.
Nepal, Bollywood Fever: Rescue teams in Nepal are frantically searching for 51 passengers and crew members who went missing after a landslide swept their buses into a swollen river. The incident occurred in the Chitwan district, approximately 86 km (53 miles) west of Kathmandu, amid heavy monsoon rains that have triggered widespread landslides and flooding.
Some 500 rescuers, including security personnel and divers, resumed their efforts on Saturday, scouring the site of Friday’s disaster. Khimananda Bhusal, deputy chief administrator of the district, reported that only a curtain from one of the bus windows and a pair of trousers have been recovered so far.
The chances of finding survivors are diminishing rapidly. “Chances of finding survivors are slim because over 30 hours have passed since the buses were swept into the river. The water level has receded this morning, but it is still very murky,” Bhusal told Reuters by telephone.
Among the missing passengers are seven Indian nationals. Remarkably, at least three other passengers managed to jump off the buses before the landslide struck, escaping with minor injuries.
Since mid-June, landslides and floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains have claimed at least 91 lives in Nepal. Images shared on social media on Friday showed rescue boats navigating the fast-flowing Trishuli River, highlighting the challenging conditions faced by the rescue teams.
In response to the disaster, the Nepali government announced plans to ban buses from traveling at night in areas with inadequate weather forecasting facilities, aiming to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
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