By eastafrican gazette and agencies
About 60 individuals are feared to have lost their lives in a devastating landslide that carried away two buses into a river in Nepal on the morning of July 12, 2024, at aorund 03:30 local time.
The landslides have been linked to the heavy rainfall.
Despite efforts by rescuers to locate survivors, only three individuals have been found alive following the tragic event.
Nepal, as well as other regions in South Asia, is currently experiencing the monsoon season, resulting in significant rainfall in recent weeks that has caused floods and landslides affecting millions of people.
The incident happened in Chitwan along the Narayanghat-Mugling highway, approximately 100km from Kathmandu. The bus is said to have rolled multiple times before plunging into the river.
One of the survivors recounted that the bus suddenly veered off the road and plunged into the river after being on the road for about an hour and a half, leaving him with a feeling of imminent death.
Despite the darkness of the night, he successfully swam to safety.
He described the river as being filled with large boulders and foliage. He and another survivor reached the highway at the same time, and were later joined by a third person. They were able to get help from a driver who called the police.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal urged all government agencies to participate in the search and rescue operation.
The monsoon season, which starts in June and ends in September, brings heavy rainfall to Nepal, often causing landslides in the mountainous country.
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