A devastating landslide on the Madan-Ashrit Highway in Central Nepal sent two buses carrying around 63 passengers plunging into the Trishuli River on Friday morning. The incident, which occurred at approximately 3:30 am, has left dozens missing and prompted a major search and rescue operation.
The force of the landslide, exacerbated by heavy rainfall and the swollen Trishuli River, made the search for the missing buses extremely challenging. Indradev Yadav, Chief District Officer of Chitwan, confirmed that both buses were carrying a total of 63 people, including the drivers.
The affected buses were identified as the Angel bus heading towards Kathmandu and the Ganpati Deluxe traveling from Kathmandu to Rautahat’s Gaur. Preliminary reports indicate 24 people were on board the Kathmandu-bound bus and 41 were in the other bus.
Three passengers on the Ganpati Deluxe managed to escape the disaster by jumping out of the vehicle before it was swept away. Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel have been dispatched to the site to assist in the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, the Narayanghat-Mugling road section has been obstructed by debris from landslides, further complicating travel and rescue efforts. All flights from Kathmandu to Chitwan’s Bharatpur have been canceled for the day due to the persistent bad weather.
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed deep sorrow over the incident, stating on X (formerly Twitter), “I am deeply saddened by the reports of about five dozen passengers that are missing when a bus was washed away by a landslide on the Narayangadh- Muglin road section and the loss of properties due to floods and landslides in different parts of the country. I direct all agencies of the government, including the home administration, to search and effectively rescue the passengers.”
