Desperate Search Underway for Missing Bodies After Nepal Mudslide

Nepalese authorities are collaborating with Indian officials to locate the missing bodies of individuals swept away in a mudslide accident involving two buses in Chitwan district. With only 15 bodies recovered and 36 still missing, search efforts continue using advanced equipment and coordinated efforts across the border.

Authorities in Nepal's Chitwan district are working with Indian officials to locate the bodies of those missing in last week's mudslide accident involving two buses swept into the swollen Trishuli River.

Since the accident, only 15 bodies have been retrieved, while 36 remain missing. Among the missing are seven Indian nationals, of which only three have been recovered. Six bodies found at the site are yet to be identified, according to an official.

Chiranjivi Sharma, Deputy Chief District Officer, stated that coordination with Indian districts West Champaran in Bihar and Maharajgunj in Uttar Pradesh is ongoing. Authorities believe the flooded river may have carried the bodies to the Indian side.

Over 500 security personnel, including the Nepal Army and Armed Police Force, along with expert deep divers, have been mobilized for rescue operations.

The search has made little progress, despite using high-quality sonar cameras, powerful magnets, and water drones. The buses were on a highway connecting Nepal's capital to the south when swept away near Simaltal, 120 kilometers west of Kathmandu. The bodies have been carried as far as 100 kilometers down the Trishuli River.

Heavy monsoon rains have swollen the rivers, turning them murky and complicating rescue efforts. Monsoon season, from June to September, often triggers landslides in the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)