The Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has instructed all government bodies to focus on search and rescue operations.
Earlier today, a landslide on the Madan-Ashrit Highway in Nepal caused two buses carrying 63 individuals to be swept into the Trishuli River. The event, which took place between the Angel bus heading to Kathmandu and Ganpati Deluxe, happened at approximately 3:30 am during a period of intense rainfall in the area.
The Chief District Officer of Chitwan, Indradev Yadav, informed ANI that the buses were on the highway when they were hit by a landslide, causing them to veer off the road and fall into the fierce river below.
According to initial reports, both buses had a combined total of 63 individuals, including the drivers. The buses were carried away by the landslide at approximately 3:30 am. We are currently at the scene of the incident where a search operation is in progress. “Continuous rainfall is making it difficult for us to search for the missing buses,” Yadav confirmed to ANI.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Prachanda instructed all government organizations to actively find and save the passengers.
I am very sorry to hear about the approximately sixty passengers missing when buses were swept away by a landslide on the Narayangadh-Muglin road section, along with the damage caused by floods and landslides in various parts of the country. Dahal posted on X that he instructs all government agencies, including the local administration, to search for passengers and rescue them efficiently.
At the moment, ANI reported that due to bad weather, all Kathmandu to Bharatpur flights have been cancelled for the day.
Home ministry officials in Nepal reported last week that 62 individuals have died and 90 have been injured in rain-related events since the start of the monsoon season.
34 individuals perished in landslides, while 28 lost their lives in floods caused by continuous rainfall. Seven people are currently unaccounted for as a result of these natural disasters. At least 121 houses have been flooded and 82 others have been damaged due to the significant property destruction caused by the heavy rains. A grand total of 1,058 households have been forced to relocate due to the natural disasters happening nationwide.
