Bus found in Jhyaple Khola confirmed to have traveled from Gorkha, 26 bodies recovered

DHAGING, Sept 29: A total of 26 bodies were found in Jhyaple Khola, Dhunibesi Municipality-9, located at the border of Dhading and Kathmandu by 11 AM on Sunday. The rescue team had recovered 14 bodies by Saturday night and an additional 12 bodies on Sunday.

The rescue team recovered the bodies of one child, five women, and eight men on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, they recovered the bodies of nine men and two women, according to Prahlad Silwal, Police Inspector and Information Officer at the District Police Office.

The buried vehicles were found in a wrecked state, and since the bodies were discovered separately, it has been difficult to determine which body belongs to which vehicle. Information Officer Silwal stated that the vehicles were so severely damaged that identifying their registration numbers has also been challenging.

The bus (Na 4 Kha 2270) has been confirmed to be traveling from Gorkha to Kathmandu. Transport operator Arjun Bhatt said that the bus was identified after the body of the driver, Madan Pariyar, was found hanging from the roof bar of the bus while an excavator was clearing the landslide.

The bus, found buried under the landslide, was initially reported to have three crew members and one passenger until Mugling. It is suspected that the bus may have picked up additional passengers along the way.

Similarly, a microbus (Jumbo Hiace) that departed from Pulchowk, Chitwan, carrying passengers to Kathmandu is also believed to be buried in the landslide at Jhyaple Khola. Since the exact number of passengers on board is unknown, the rescue team has intensified the search, fearing that many more bodies may still be found in the landslide debris.

Nar Bahadur Rana, chairman of Manakamana Mai Transport Pvt Ltd, said that the bus with the registration number Ba 2 Kha 1345, which departed around 2 PM on Friday, has gone missing.