Nepali rescue teams have recovered the first body from among the approximately 50 people missing after monsoon rains triggered a landslide that sent two buses careening off a highway and into a river. The powerful landslide, which occurred on Friday in central Chitwan district, pushed the vehicles over concrete crash barriers and down a steep embankment, at least 30 meters (100 feet) from the road.
“One body has been found about 55 kilometers (35 miles) from the accident site,” police spokesman Kumar Neupane told AFP. District official Khimananda Bhusal stated that roughly 50 people remain unaccounted for, revising the initial estimate of 63 missing reported by authorities on Friday. “It is hard to confirm the total number because we don’t know if the buses stopped to add or remove passengers along the way,” he explained.
Dozens of rescuers have spent hours battling the raging Trishuli river with rafts, sensor equipment, and dive teams in a desperate search for any trace of the passengers or the vehicles. The fierce currents, exacerbated by this week’s torrential downpours, have significantly hindered their efforts. “We will employ all our abilities for search and rescue despite the water levels, current and the water’s muddiness,” Chitwan district chief Indra Dev Yadav told AFP.
The accident occurred before dawn on Friday along the Narayanghat-Mugling highway, approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Kathmandu. One bus was traveling from the capital to Gaur in Rautahat district in southern Nepal, while the other was en route to Kathmandu from southern Birgunj. Tragically, a driver was killed in a separate accident on the same road after a boulder struck his bus. He died while receiving treatment at a hospital.
Deadly crashes are a disturbingly common occurrence in the Himalayan republic, often attributed to poorly constructed roads, poorly maintained vehicles, and reckless driving. Government figures reveal that nearly 2,400 people lost their lives on Nepal’s roads in the 12 months leading up to April. In January, a bus traveling from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu plunged into a river, resulting in 12 fatalities and 24 injuries.
Road travel becomes even more hazardous during the annual monsoon season, as rains trigger landslides and floods across the mountainous country. Monsoon rains across South Asia from June to September bring much-needed respite from the summer heat and are crucial for replenishing water supplies but also cause widespread death and destruction.
The rainfall is notoriously difficult to forecast and varies considerably, but scientists warn that climate change is making the monsoon stronger and more erratic. According to police figures, floods, landslides, and lightning strikes have claimed the lives of 88 people across the country since the monsoon season began in June.
