KATHMANDU, JULY 12

Early this morning, two passenger buses went missing in the Trishuli River following landslides in the Simaltal area along the Narayanghat-Mugling road section in Chitwan district.

The two buses, traveling through Simaltal in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-29, were swept away by the landslide into the Trishuli River around 3:30 AM today.

According to authorities, one bus, operated by Ganapati Deluxe, was heading to Gaur in Rautahat from Kathmandu with around 41 passengers. The other bus, operated by Angel Deluxe, traveling to Kathmandu from Birgunj is said to have around 24 passengers on board.

Rescue efforts are underway with over 75 personnel from all three security forces, but heavy rain and high water levels in the Trishuli River are hindering efforts, according to the authorities.

Security personnel deployed to search for the missing busses in Simtal of Chitwan. Photo: RSS

A diving team from the Nepali Army and the Armed Police Force is searching for the buses, but they have yet to locate any of the vehicles.

The authorities have cleared the debris at the incident area and temporarily opened one-way traffic. However, continuously falling stones and landslide debris are making it difficult for traffic to resume unobstructed.

Although the Simaltal area is currently open, the Narayanghat-Mugling road section remains blocked at the Kalikhola area, and it is expected to take several hours to restore normal traffic flow.

Three passengers traveling on the Ganapati Deluxe bus managed to save themselves by jumping from the bus as it was being swept away. These survivors, from Dewahi Gonahi Municipality and Sisawa Dhamaura of Brindaban Municipality in Rautahat district, have been brought to Narayanghat for treatment.

Authorities are still working to identify the vehicles and passengers involved, but exact details have not yet been confirmed.