At least 63 people were missing on the morning of July 12, after a landslide along the Madan-Ashrit highway in central Nepal swept two passenger buses off the highway and into a nearby river.
Dozens of search and rescue workers are combing the scene for survivors of the accident in the central district of Chitwan, Chitwan district official Khimananda Bhusal told reporters. The buses were carrying at least 66 people at the time of the accident, but three passengers jumped out before the vehicles plunged into the Trishuli River and are currently being treated in hospital.
“We are not sure about the total number of people as the buses might have picked up others on the way… The river has risen and the authorities have not found anyone else yet,” Mr Bhusal said.
The accident occurred along the Narayanghat-Mugling highway, about 100km west of Kathmandu, at 3:30 a.m. local time on July 12. At that time, one bus was traveling from Kathmandu to Gaur in Rautahat district in southern Nepal while the other was traveling from Birgunj south to Kathmandu.
On social network X, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed his grief over the accident and said he had directed all government agencies, including local authorities, to participate in the search and rescue of the passengers effectively.
Fatal accidents are common in Nepal due to poor road conditions, poorly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.
According to statistics, nearly 2,400 people have died on Nepal's roads in the past 12 months, up to April 2024.
An accident occurred in January 2024 when a bus traveling from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu fell into a river, killing 12 people and injuring 24 others.
Heavy rains have caused landslides and floods in Nepal, the Asian Himalayan nation, killing dozens of people since mid-June 2024. Nepalese authorities have also warned that road travel will become more dangerous during the annual monsoon season, when rains cause landslides and floods across the country.
According to the Communist Party of Vietnam Electronic Newspaper
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