CHITWAN, Dec 1: Ten-month-old Aryan Thapa survived miraculously when a bus en route to Arghakhanchi from Kathmandu plunged into the Trishuli River, killing eight passengers on November 29. The infant was found lying on the river’s bank. It was his cries that caught attention of the rescue workers.  

When Aryan’s relatives came searching for him, the police came to know that the one of the 34 passengers travelling from Kathmandu to Arghakhanchi with his mother, Manisha. While her son survived the 150 meters fall, the mother still remains missing. 

It is assumed that the infant slipped from the mother’s lap as the bus rolled down the cliff—miraculously landing safely on the river bank.  Born with slight problems in his leg, Manisha had taken Aryan to consult with doctors in Kathmandu after he was a month old. “When they were returning home, they met with an accident,” Bishnu Thapa, Aryan’s aunt, said. 

Aryan is undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit at Bharatpur Teaching Hospital where his relatives, including his aunt Bishnu have arrived from Arghakhanchi.  On November 29, the ill-fated bus (Lu 2 Kha 291) en route to Arghakhanchi from Kathmandu plunged into the Trishuli at around 9:15 am.

Eight passengers were killed, 23 sustained injuries while three are still missing. 

 
• bus accident
 
• trishuli
 
• infant