Bodies recovered after Nepal mudslide, over 50 still missing

Crews recovered two bodies Saturday in Nepal, but the search continued for more than 50 other people who were suddenly swept into a river when the two buses they were riding were hit by a massive landslide.

Three people managed to escape alive from the incident, which took place in Nepal’s central district of Chitwan around 3:30 a.m. local time Friday.

The body of one man was pulled from the water later in the day Friday, several miles from where the two buses were washed away. Officials later confirmed the man was an Indian national.

The accident happened on the Narayanghat-Mugling highway, one of Nepal’s busiest roads, around 60 miles southwest of Kathmandu. Both buses were headed to the capital city.

The area has seen recent heavy rain with the country in the middle of its monsoon season, which have triggered significant flooding and landslides in other parts of Nepal.

The three known survivors were thrown through the windows of the buses, directly into rushing water of the Trishuli river and managed to swim to safety.

“Chitwan-based forces including divers have been deployed to carry out the rescue operation with the help of other security agencies and locals,” the Nepali Army said on X in a post translated to English by Google.

That search continued Saturday with crews adorned with helmets and other safety equipment navigating the fast-flowing, muddy water using inflatable rafts.

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of nearly five dozen passengers and the loss of property due to floods and landslides in different parts of the country when a bus was washed away by a landslide on the Narayangadh-Muglin road section,” Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said on X and translated to English by Google. “I direct all agencies of the government, including the home administration, to search and effectively rescue the passengers,”