Kathmandu: As many as 63 people are missing after a landslide on the Madan-Ashrit Highway swept two buses during the wee hours of Friday, July 12. As per reports, the incident occurred at around 03:30 am amid heavy rainfall in the region.
The Chief District Officer of Chitwan, Indradev Yadav, told ANI that the buses were travelling along the highway when the landslide struck, pushing both off the road and into the raging river below.
“As per the preliminary information both the buses were carrying a total of 63 people including the bus drivers. The landslide swept the buses at around 3:30 am. We are at the incident site and a search operation is underway. Incessant rain is hampering our efforts to search for the missing buses,” Indradev Yadav, Chief District Officer, Chitwan told ANI.
Amid this incident, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda,’ expressed his sadness and instructed all government agencies to search and rescue the passengers.
“I am deeply saddened by the reports of about five dozen passengers that are missing after the buses were washed away by a landslide on the Narayangadh-Muglin road section and the loss of properties due to floods and landslides in different parts of the country. I direct all agencies of the government, including the home administration, to search and effectively rescue the passengers,” the prime minister posted on X.
Since the onset of the monsoon season, over 60 people have been killed and some 90 people sustained injuries in rain-related incidents in Nepal, the home ministry said in a statement last week.
(Inputs from ANI)
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