60 missing in Nepal after 2 buses crash into river

Search efforts continued Friday afternoon for survivors after two buses were swept off a key highway into the Trishuli River in Nepal.

The accident occurred in the early hours of the day. Sixty passengers are missing, while three others swam to safety and are currently hospitalized.

Police reported that the buses were traveling on a highway connecting the capital, Kathmandu, to southern Nepal when they were swept away near Simaltal, about 120 kilometers west of the capital. Military and police teams were involved in the search, which by early Friday afternoon had not yielded any results, and the buses had not yet been located.

Local reports indicate that recent downpours in the area have swollen waterways with muddy brown water, making it difficult for rescuers to navigate.

Additionally, a third bus was struck by a landslide later Friday morning on the same highway. The driver of the third bus was killed, but there are few details available about this incident.

Nepal’s Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, expressed sadness over the incidents and voiced concern over the recent floods and landslides affecting parts of the country.

Nearly 100 people have been killed since mid-June in Nepal due to heavy rains causing floods and landslides in the South Asian country of 31 million people.