KATHMANDU, Aug 2: The government has decided to extend the search operation by a week to locate the two missing buses and their passengers in the Trishuli River. On July 11, the buses carrying passengers plunged into the Trishuli River at Simaltal, along the Narayanghat section, due to a landslide triggered by incessant rain.

Although the government has been continuously trying to find the buses and the passengers since July 12, the bodies of only 24 passengers have been found so far. In the meantime, the government also sought help from India to locate the buses and passengers. The Indian team searched for 6 days but returned without finding even a single body.

The Indian search operation has returned to India. However, Nepali security personnel have continued the search operation. Bhishma Bhusal, joint secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs and head of the Disaster Management Division, said that he has instructed the security personnel to continue searching for the bus for at least one more week.

“We will search for at least one more week. If there is no progress by then, we will decide whether to continue the search or stop it," he said. According to him, now the government will conduct the investigation itself.

A 19 kg magnet brought by the Indian rescue team was also lost in the river while searching for the bus. Later, the magnet was found after a few days, but the buses were not.

A senior official of the Road Division, Chitwan, said that the chances of finding the missing two passenger buses that were swept into the river are almost over. He stated that the buses have been broken into pieces in the river due to the high current in the Trishuli River. The flow of water in Trishuli is so high that there is no possibility of finding the buses now. The bus must have been broken, said the employee.

The next of kin of missing passengers have also given up hope for finding their family members. They have even performed their 13-day final rituals.

On July 11, two buses with passengers, one, Ba Pra 03-006 Kha 1513, en route to Kathmandu from Birgunj and the other, Ba Pra 03-001 Kha 2495, en route to Gaur from Kathmandu were swept into Trishuli along the Mugling-Narayanghat road section by a landslide.

According to the police, there were 65 passengers in those two buses. Three of them managed to survive by swimming. The bodies of 24 people have been found. So far, about a dozen vehicles have gone missing after falling into Trishuli.

 
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