In Nepal rescuers have ruled out the possibility of finding any survivors from last week’s catastrophic landslide. The landslide has swept two passenger buses carrying 65 people into a rain-swollen river, authorities reported on Monday.
Hundreds of security personnel resumed search operations early on Monday to locate the buses and the 55 passengers who remain missing, over 72 hours after the tragic accident.
The search efforts have been focused on the site of Friday’s accident in the Chitwan district, approximately 86 km (53 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu. So far, searchers have discovered seven bodies, including two found on Monday.
“There are no chances of finding survivors. Our focus is on recovering bodies,” stated Bhesh Raj Rijal, a senior police official in Chitwan district.
Family members who have gathered at the search site have given up hope of finding their loved ones alive, an official disclosed. “They are requesting us to at least find the dead bodies. The scene here is grim,” said Khimananda Bhusal, a government official in the district.
The tragic incident is part of a broader pattern of devastation caused by landslides and floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains, which have claimed over 100 lives in Nepal since mid-June.
In response to the landslide, the government has announced plans to ban buses from traveling at night in areas with adverse weather forecasts, in an effort to prevent future tragedies.
