Nepal Landslide Tragedy: Search Suspended for Missing Passengers

Authorities in Nepal have halted their search for 51 passengers who went missing after a landslide pushed buses into a river. Initially reported as 62, the number was revised after verifying passenger details. The disaster forms part of a broader monsoon-triggered crisis, claiming over 91 lives since mid-June.

Authorities in Nepal have suspended their search for 51 passengers who went missing following a landslide that swept buses into a river, officials reported.

Initially, 62 people were presumed missing after the incident in Chitwan district, around 86 km west of Kathmandu. The number was later revised to 51 after passenger details were confirmed with bus operators. At least three passengers managed to escape with minor injuries by jumping off the buses before the landslide struck, officials said.

Despite efforts by hundreds of security personnel and over two dozen divers, no traces of the buses or their passengers have been found. "We will resume the search tomorrow morning," stated Chitwan Deputy Administrator Khimananda Bhusal as dusk fell.

(With inputs from agencies.)