KATHMANDU, July 13: In two tragic accidents, two buses carrying dozens of passengers went missing in the Trishuli River early Friday morning due to landslides in the Simaltal area along the Narayanghat-Mugling road section in Chitwan district. 

The ill-fated buses were carrying at least 65 passengers, while three of them managed to jump out of the bus before it was washed away by the river, according to police officials. Despite extensive search efforts, the authorities were unable to determine the whereabouts of the buses or their passengers till late Friday evening.

Separate teams of Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel are involved in the search and rescue operations. As the whereabouts of the missing buses were not known till late evening on Friday, officials fear that there are slim chances of finding anyone traveling on those buses alive. 

The buses were swept away into the Trishuli River after a sudden landslide near Simaltal in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-29. The affected vehicles are Ganapati Deluxe (Province-03-001 Kha 2495), heading from Kathmandu to Gaur in Rautahat, and Angel Deluxe Bus (Bagmati Province 1516) on its way to Kathmandu from Birgunj.

Family members of the passengers traveling from Rautahat, Birgunj, and various parts of India on these ill-fated buses are currently experiencing distress following the news of the missing buses. The bus driver, Kishor Chaudhary, and conductor, Rishi Singh, along with 30 passengers, were traveling from Kathmandu to Rautahat in Ganapati Deluxe.

Chief District Officer of Chitwan, Indra Dev Yadav, informed Republica that the two vehicles fell into the river at 3:30 on Friday morning. According to Yadav, a bus of Ganapati Deluxe heading to Gaur in Rautahat from Kathmandu was reportedly carrying 41 people and the other bus named Angel Deluxe en route to Kathmandu from Birgunj had 24 people on board.

According to the information provided by the Ganapati Travels Bus Counter in Kalanki, a total of 27 passengers from Kathmandu had bought tickets to travel to Rautahat. Rautahat Police Chief SP Dilip Ghimire said they were trying to establish contact with family members based on the information they had received from the bus counters.

Similarly, details have been received of 21 passengers traveling from Birgunj to Kathmandu on Angel Deluxe (Bagmati Province 1516). Police said that seven Indian nationals were among the passengers on the ill-fated bus. 

Expressing grief over the disappearance of the buses in the Trishuli River, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal issued directives for immediate search and rescue operations. He directed the relevant agencies to carry out immediate and effective search and rescue operations.

While expressing grief over the loss of life and property due to floods and landslides in different parts of the country, Prime Minister Dahal urged citizens to take necessary precautions. He also appealed to the federal, provincial, and local governments for the necessary cooperation and coordination in disaster management and risk mitigation with high vigilance as the adverse weather conditions persist in the country.

Three survivors miraculously swim to safety

At least three people were able to save their lives by jumping out the bus window of the Ganapati Deluxe Bus traveling from Kathmandu to Gaur. The three people who survived the fatal Trishuli River accident are currently undergoing treatment at Bharatpur Hospital. The three survivors were on board the Ganapati Deluxe bus. They had boarded the bus in Kathmandu at 7:30 PM on Thursday.

Nanda Das Yadav, one of the survivors from Dewahi Gonahi Municipality-1, recounted his harrowing escape. He had come to Kathmandu for a medical test as a part of his preparation to go abroad for work. He says that initially the bus fell while plunging. Then stones started falling together. Nanda Das, who fell into the river along with the bus, started swimming. While swimming, he approached a rock and held onto it, eventually reaching the riverbank.

“There were about 30 to 35 passengers on the bus. Three of us managed to escape through a broken window after the bus was swept away by the landslide into the Trishuli River. We swam out for our lives,” said Yadav. “The bus met with the accident about an hour after departing from Kathmandu. It drowned in the river, and I have no idea what happened. By the time I regained my senses, we were in the river.” Yadav is currently receiving treatment at Chitwan Medical College, having sustained head injuries.

Another survivor, Jageshwor Raya Yadav from Garuda Municipality Ward No-9, Rautahat, also managed to escape but lost four family members in the accident. He was returning home from Kathmandu after treatment. He recounted being thrown out of the vehicle by the water and reaching the riverbank by holding onto weeds. “After coming to the bank of the river, I grabbed the weeds and kept climbing up, chanting the name of God. I survived. My family is still in the river.” According to the District Administration Office, Chitwan, Yadav's 10-year-old son, 7-year-old granddaughter, 2-year-old grandson, and 35-year-old daughter are missing in the same accident. Raya’s family was returning home after receiving medical treatment in Kathmandu. “The bus rolled many times before it touched the river,” said Raya, adding that the voices of passengers screaming were still fresh in his ears. He is also being treated at Chitwan Medical College.

Meanwhile, Suraj Kumar Gupta, one of the victims has been discharged from Bharatpur Hospital after receiving treatment. The buses, which fell into the Trishuli River from Simaltal on the Narayanghat-Mugling road around 2 AM on Friday, have not been found yet.

Suraj's father Parshuram Shah, 55, and mother Mina Devi, 52, sister Rinku Devi, 26, and brother-in-law Niraj Shah, 28, are missing in the accident. Suraj said, “'I do not remember how I managed to jump off the bus. However, I could not save any of my family members who were on the bus.”

Amar Shah, the mayor of Baudhimai Municipality, said that, Hari Chandra Yadav, 60, and Bali Rawat Kurmi, 65, both resident of  Ajgaibi, ward-1, Raj Patel, son of Kishori Patel of Inaruwa ward-2, two passengers including 27 of Yamuna Mai Rural Municipality-5 are also among the missing.

An eyewitness recounts harrowing details

An eyewitness says that it was around three o'clock. The vehicle got stuck in traffic. There was no way to pass due to the landslide. Near a tree, two people were crying. They were saying that five members of their family had died. When I approached the landslide, another person was crying. He was putting on clothes and said that four members of his family were in the river. Then these two people came to my vehicle. They asked if they could sit in the vehicle as their family members had died. I took them in my vehicle and went back to the landslide site. There, another person was crying. He said that four members of his family and four members of another family had died. However, I did not see any vehicles. The police had been informed by then.

Authorities face challenges in search and rescue operations

Authorities are still searching for the two buses and the missing passengers. Teams of Nepal Police, Armed Police, and Nepali Army have been searching by boat since Friday morning. However, they are facing significant challenges due to the river’s strong currents. Having failed to trace the buses, the authorities are currently seeking new ideas and methods for the search and rescue operation. More than 200 security personnel are involved in the incident area.

A team of divers are currently conducting a search operation to locate the bus.