The two buses were carrying 65 passengers
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.
Dozens of search and rescue personnel were combing the site for survivors of the accident, 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.
