48 passengers remain missing after four days; search efforts continue for the fifth day today

CHITWAN, July 16: With the onset of the monsoon season every year, the government announces its preparedness for disaster management. The then Home Minister, Rabi Lamichhane, stated in the House, "All agencies of the Ministry of Home Affairs have been in a state of preparation for reducing the damage caused by the coming monsoon and responding to it for the past month." However, four days after two passenger buses fell into the Trishuli River, the whereabouts of the missing buses and passengers are still unknown.

It's not that the state mechanisms have not done anything to locate them. Over 167 Armed Police Force (APF) personnel, including 90 highly skilled disaster rescuers from the Kurintar base camp of the APF, have been mobilized. The Nepali Army has also deployed an equal number of rescue personnel. However, continuous rain and rising water levels in the river are making the search difficult.

The APF used a water drone capable of detecting submerged items only on Saturday. Additionally, all available technologies, such as sonar and pipe inspection equipment that scan underwater, have been utilized. Despite deploying 11 APF diving teams in Trishuli, the buses have not been found. According to security personnel, the buses have not been detected due to the muddy water and the deep and narrow stretch of the river where the two buses went missing. Echo sounder equipment, which can detect objects up to 300 meters underwater, has also been used. However, due to a lack of resources, the search remains challenging, according to Assistant Chief District Officer (CDO) in Chitwan, Khimananda Bhushal.

"Despite having resources and trained manpower in Nepal, we could not locate the two buses," Assistant CDO Bhushal said. "It has become evident that we are weak in the technology needed to find buses in such geography and river channels," he added. He said there is a need for modern devices for rescue operations in Nepal.

A sonar camera that scans underwater has been in use since Monday. Assistant CDO Bhushal said that on the first day, operations were carried out from the incident site to Devghat. However, he mentioned that dirty water conditions also make it difficult to work.

Since Friday morning, security agencies have intensified the search, but the relatives of the missing passengers are becoming increasingly frustrated. "They're searching for the bus with bamboo on one side of the river—how can they find it in such vast water?" said Nahkul Bahadur Thapa of Hetauda, who came in search of his missing brother.

Four days after the incident, the government announced the formation of a committee to study the landslide in Simaltal. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak's first decision in office was to establish this committee, coordinated by Joint Secretary Chabi Rijal. The committee will study the landslide's impact and management, and is expected to submit a report within 10 days.

The two buses swept away by a landslide into the Trishuli River in Simaltal on the Narayanghat-Mugling road section of Bharatpur Metropolitan Municipality-29 have not yet been found. The missing buses are Ba Pra 03-001 Kha 2495, which was heading to Gaur from Kathmandu, and Ba Pra 03-006 Kha 1516 Angel Deluxe.

The District Administration Office in Chitwan has reported that there were 65 passengers on the bus. Three passengers managed to save their lives by jumping from the bus. A total of 48 passengers are still missing. The office also informed that 14 dead bodies have been found over the past four days. Seven of these bodies have been identified, while the identities of the remaining seven are yet to be confirmed, according to Chief District Officer (CDO) Indradev Yadav.

The bodies were found at distances ranging from about 35 to 100 kilometers from the site of the incident. CDO Yadav stated that bodies were discovered in areas including Gaindakot, Golaghat, and Gandak Canal, all within 35 kilometers. Six bodies were found in the Gandak Canal and one in Susta. Only one of the bodies found in the Gandak Canal has been identified, while the others remain unidentified. The Chitwan District Administration Office confirmed that seven bodies have been identified by their relatives. Those identified include Rishi Paul Shah from India, Sajad Ansari, Jay Prakash Thakur, Bikas Pariyar from Madi, Chitwan, Ramit Kumar Majhi from Sarlahi, Sudeep BK from Bharatpur-22, and Feroz Rahup Mia from Rautahat.

Most of the bodies found were covered with sand. CDO Yadav mentioned that the search strategy was revised, and the security teams were deployed to Triveni after the bodies were discovered at a distance from the incident site.