Rescuers recover first body after buses swept into river in Nepal
More than 50 people were on board the two vehicles.
Nepali authorities say rescuers have recovered the first body from two buses carrying more than 50 people that were swept by a landslide into the Trishuli river.
Weather conditions improved on Saturday and searchers were able to cover more ground in the hunt for the missing buses and passengers after the incident 75 miles west of the capital.
Heavy equipment had cleared much of the landslides from the highway, making it easier for more searchers to reach the area.
Soldiers and police teams were using rubber rafts, divers and sensor equipment to locate the buses, which were pushed off the highway into the river by a landslide.
Three people were ejected from the buses and are being treated in a nearby hospital.
The buses were likely submerged and swept downstream in the Trishuli. Nepal’s rivers are generally fast-flowing due to the mountainous terrain. Heavy monsoon downpours in the past few days have swollen the waterways, turning the waters murky, making it even more difficult to see the wreckage.
The buses were on the key highway connecting Nepal’s capital to southern parts of the country when they were swept away on Friday morning near Simaltal, 75 miles west of Kathmandu.
A third bus was hit by another landslide on Friday morning a short distance away on the same road. Authorities said the driver was killed but it was not clear if there were any other casualties.
Monsoon season brings heavy rains to Nepal from June to September, often triggering landslides in the mountainous Himalayan country.
The government has imposed a ban on passenger buses travelling at night in the areas where weather warnings are posted.
