22 identified, bodies yet to be recovered

SINDHUPALCHOWK, Sept 7: Although 22 out of 25 passengers -- who have gone missing since a passenger bus plunged into Bhotekoshi River -- have been identified, police are yet to recover their bodies. Three others have not been identified as yet.



A bus (Ba 2 Kha 4013) carrying 35 passengers had skidded off the Araniko highway into the river on Monday. Four passengers survived while dead bodies of five passengers have been recovered. [break]



Over 200 police personnel and locals, who recovered the bodies of five passengers on Monday, resumed search operation from early Tuesday morning by forming several groups. However, they neither found the bus nor the dead bodies.



“The rise in the water level has obstructed our rescue operation,” said police inspector Heramba Sharma, adding, “We are not too hopeful of rescuing the missing passengers alive. However, we have not given up.”



According to Sharma, 52 Nepal Police, 10 Armed Police and 67 Nepal Army personnel, along with dozens of local youths, have been deployed up to Dolalghat in the search operation. A team of divers with seven rafting boats have also been deployed.



Police said that they would continue with their efforts to search for the missing persons on Wednesday as well.



The missing passengers are from nine villages of Sindhupalchowk district-- Barhabise, Marming, Gati, Ramchi, Phulpingdada, Mangkha, Tekanpur, Hagam and Listi. People of these villages have been traumatized following the incident.



“I want my daughter´s dead body, if not alive,” Jit Bahadur Tamang, a resident of Gati-2, whose daughter Dhanmati is missing in the river, said.



List of identified missing passengers

Dhanmati Tamang, Gati-2

Anita Tamang, Gati-6

Kale Tamang, Gati-6

Govinda Chalise, Ramche-1

Sitara Thapa, Ramche-7

Umesh Karki, Ramche

Kumar BK, Listi-6

Dil Kumar Tamang, Mangkha-2

Hom Raj Parajuli, Mangkha-6

Nirshar Sherpa, Marming-8

Dundup Tamang, Marming-9

Nima Sherpa, Marming-6

Chhuni Tamang, Marming-6

Ram Chandra Nepal, Phulpingdanda

Ram Chandra Acharya, Phulpingdanda

Krishna Prasad Nepal, Phulpingdanda

Bal Bahadur Thapa, Bahrabise-3

Keshar Bahadur Bohara, Tekanpur-8

Jit Bahadur Bohara, Tekanpur-8

Hom Lal Tamang, Hagam-5

Devi Prasad Acharya, Thulobari, Kavre

Parbati Adhikari, Kathmandu

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