Nepali Army troops and others during a rescue operation after buses were swept away by a landslide, in Chitwan district, Nepal.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Nepali authorities say rescuers have recovered on July 13 the first body from two buses that were swept by a landslide and submerged into a raging river in a raging river a day earlier.

The buses, carrying more than 50 people, fell into the Trishuli river which was swollen by continuous rainfall over the past few days as heavy monsoon downpours turned their waters murky brown, making it even more difficult to see the wreckage.

The body was that of a man and was found some 50 kilometers (31 miles) from where the buses fell, said government administrator Khima Nanda Bhusal.

Weather conditions improved Saturday and rescuers were able to cover more ground in the hunt for the missing buses and passengers. Heavy equipment had cleared much of the landslides from the highway, making it easier for more searchers to reach the area.

Soldiers and police teams were using rubber rafts, divers and sensor equipments to try to locate the buses, which were pushed off the highway into the river by a landslide.

Three people were ejected from the buses and were being treated in a nearby hospital.

The buses were likely submerged and swept downstream in the Trishuli. Nepal’s rivers generally are fast-flowing due to the mountainous terrain. Heavy monsoon downpours in the past few days have swollen the waterways and turned their waters murky brown, making it even more difficult to see the wreckage.

The buses were on the key highway connecting Nepal’s capital to southern parts of the country when they were swept away Friday morning near Simaltal, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kathmandu.

A third bus was hit by another landslide Friday morning a short distance away on the same highway. Authorities said the driver was killed but it was not clear if there were any other casualties.

Monsoon season brings heavy rains to Nepal from June to September, often triggering landslides in the mountainous Himalayan country.

The government has imposed a ban on passenger buses travelling at night in the areas where weather warnings are posted, according to the Home Ministry.

New Delhi:

At least six Indians were among more than 60 people believed to be missing in Nepal after two buses were pushed into a river due to a landslide triggered by heavy rain on Friday.

The two buses, carrying 65 passengers, went missing in the Trishuli River at Simaltal area along the Narayanghat-Mugling road in Chitwan district, around 100 kilometres from the capital Kathmandu.

The accident took place around 3.30 am, an official said.

While 24 people were onboard the Kathmandu-bound Angel bus, 41 other passengers were travelling on Ganpati Deluxe, which was going to Gaur from the Nepal capital.

“We are not sure of the total number because the buses could have picked up others on the road,” Chitwan district official Khimananda Bhusal told AFP.

“The river has swollen and no one else has been found yet,” he said.

Three passengers on the Ganpati Deluxe bus reportedly escaped after jumping out of the vehicle.

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ expressed grief over the accident and issued directives for immediate search and rescue operations.

Landslides and floods have reportedly killed more than 90 people in Nepal since mid-June.