Kathmandu: Rescuers in Nepal continued their search on Saturday for 51 passengers and crew who went missing after a landslide swept their buses into a swollen river amid heavy rain, according to an official. The likelihood of finding survivors was decreasing.
Around 500 rescuers resumed efforts at the site in Chitwan district, located about 86 km (53 miles) west of Kathmandu. Khimananda Bhusal, deputy chief administrator of the district, reported that security personnel and divers had recovered only a curtain from a bus window and a pair of trousers so far.
Among the missing are seven Indian nationals. Fortunately, three passengers managed to escape with minor injuries by jumping off the buses before they were swept away by the landslide.
“Chances of finding survivors are slim because over 30 hours have passed since the buses were swept into the river. The water level has receded this morning, but it is still very murky,” Bhusal told the over the phone, as reported by the International News Agency Reuters.
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Monsoon-triggered landslides and floods have claimed the lives of at least 91 people in Nepal since mid-June. Social media images from Friday showed rescue boats navigating the swift Trishuli River.
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In response to the disaster, the government announced intentions to prohibit buses from traveling at night in regions lacking adequate weather forecasting facilities.
