KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Two passenger buses carrying more than 50 passengers were swept away by a swollen river early Friday in central Nepal, while persistent rain and landslides hampered rescue efforts.
The three survivors appeared to have swum to safety, but early morning rescuers found no trace of the buses, which may have been submerged in the Trisuli river and washed away. The rivers of Nepal are generally fast flowing due to the hilly terrain. Heavy rains over the past few days have swelled the water bodies and turned their waters dark brown, making it even more difficult to see the ruins.
Interior Minister Rabi Lamichane told parliament that 51 passengers were missing and more than 500 rescue workers were involved in the search.
He said that in the last 24 hours, 17 people have died and three others have been injured in other parts of the country due to landslides in various districts.
The buses were swept away around 3 a.m. near Simaldal, 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kathmandu, on the main highway linking the capital to Nepal’s southern regions.
And landslides have blocked roads leading to the area in many places, said government administrator Kima Nanata Pusal. Additional rescue teams and security forces were deployed in the rescue operations. Police and soldiers searched in rubber boats. According to Chitwan District Police, divers with scuba gear were also dispatched.
Bhuzal said the three survivors were being treated at a hospital, they jumped off the bus and swam ashore, where locals found them and took them to a nearby hospital.
A third bus was again caught in a landslide on Friday morning a short distance away on the same highway. Puzel said the driver was killed but it was unclear if there were any other casualties.
Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said he was saddened by the news and expressed concern over the recent floods and landslides. In a post on social media platform X, he said several government agencies were searching for the missing.
A family of seven died near the resort town of Pokhara after a landslide buried a cottage on Thursday night. While the family was sleeping, the landslide crushed their hut and damaged three other nearby houses.
The monsoon season brings heavy rains to Nepal from June to September, triggering frequent landslides in the mountainous Himalayan country.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the government has banned passenger buses plying at night in areas where weather warnings have been issued.
___
AP Contributor Yunish Gurung contributed from Pokhara, Nepal.
