BHARATPUR, Nepal – On July 13, Nepali rescue teams recovered the first body from approximately 50 people missing after monsoon rains triggered a landslide that swept two buses off a highway and into a river. The powerful landslide on July 12 in central Chitwan district forced the vehicles over concrete crash barriers and down a steep embankment, about 30 meters from the road.
“One body has been found about 55 kilometers from the accident site,” police spokesman Kumar Neupane told AFP. District official Khimananda Bhusal revised the number of missing to roughly 50 from the 63 initially reported. “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 been struggling to search the raging Trishuli river with rafts, sensor equipment, and dive teams to locate any trace of the passengers or the vehicles. Fierce currents, worsened by torrential downpours, have hampered 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 stated.
The accident occurred before dawn on July 12 along the Narayanghat-Mugling highway, around 100 kilometers west of Kathmandu. One bus was traveling from the capital to Gaur in Rautahat district in southern Nepal, and the other was en route to Kathmandu from southern Birgunj.
In a separate incident on the same road, a driver was killed after a boulder hit his bus. He succumbed to his injuries while being treated at a hospital.
Deadly crashes are common in Nepal due to poorly constructed roads, badly maintained vehicles, and reckless driving. Government figures indicate that nearly 2,400 people lost their lives on Nepal’s roads in the 12 months leading up to April.
Road travel becomes even more perilous during the monsoon season, as rains trigger landslides and floods across the mountainous country. Monsoon rains, while essential for replenishing water supplies, often bring widespread death and destruction.
Since the monsoon began in June, floods, landslides, and lightning strikes have killed 88 people across the country, according to police figures. Scientists warn that climate change is making the monsoon stronger and more erratic, increasing the risk of such disasters.