At least 11 bodies have been recovered from the search for missing passengers following the Friday accident, but the identities of four remain unascertained, officials said here on Monday.
According to the authorities, search and rescue operations for the missing passengers and the two buses swept away into the Trishuli River by a landslide on Friday morning continued on Monday.
Heavy rains caused terrible landslips at several sites across Nepal. The disasters devastated multiple regions of the Himalayan nation, resulting in severe loss and trauma, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Two bodies were found stuck at the Gandak barrage in Triveni Dham, and two sluice gates were closed to retrieve them on Monday, according to Triveni police head Mahesh Rayamajhi.
The Chitwan district police have identified a 22-year-old man from Bharatpur Metropolitan City and a 17-year-old boy from Rautahat district as the victims, The Kathmandu Post reported.
According to police, sixty-two people went missing after two passenger buses were swept away by a mudslide into the rain-swollen Trishuli River near Simaltal along the Narayanghat-Mugling road section on Friday.
Chitwan Chief District Officer Indradev Yadav confirmed that 27 passengers’ names were recorded at the ticket counter for a bus travelling from Kathmandu to Gaur.
Yadav said it had been confirmed that 11 more people were travelling on the bus, according to their relatives.
A total of 23 passengers were on the bus en route to Kathmandu from Birgunj, as per the record maintained at the ticket counter. Four more people were on board the bus as per their relatives, said Yadav.
Three passengers on the Ganapati Deluxe bus managed to escape by jumping out of the vehicle, the report said.
“It has been found that there were more passengers than initially mentioned on the booking receipt. Attempts to find their details are underway,” he added.
The use of Reach and Rescue Underwater Inspection Cameras, water boats, and divers is being used to locate the missing victims, reports added.
