Rescue workers in Nepal have so far recovered 11 bodies from the river after two buses carrying roughly 50 people were swept away in a landslide on July 12.
Authorities said on Monday, July 15 that rescuers recovered the bodies in various locations along the riverbanks as they continued searching for the two missing buses and the people on board.
Administrator Khima Nanda Bhusal said that seven of the victims had been identified and their families had been contacted. Three were Indian and the other four were from Nepal.
Four unidentified bodies were also recovered but it wasn’t clear if they were aboard either of the buses, Bhusal said.
The buses were traveling on the highway that connects the capital of Kathmandu to the southern region of Nepal when they were swept away by a landslide roughly 75 miles west of the capital. Three people were thrown from the buses and survived.
The first victim was recovered last Sunday roughly 30 miles away from where the buses went into the river. The other bodies recovered were found as far away as the border with India. Two were found 60 miles away in Tribeni.
Rescue workers from the security forces were searching the river using diving equipment, underwater sonar, and magnets.
Because of its mountainous terrain, rivers in the Himalayan country are known to be fast-flowing. The recent heavy monsoons that hit the region earlier this month caused the rivers to swell and turn muddy, making the search for the buses even more difficult.
Weather conditions improved on July 13, allowing the search and rescue teams to cover more ground. Workers deployed heavy equipment to clear away much of the landslide from the highway, making it easier for rescuers to reach the area and expand the search perimeter.
Monsoon season, which runs from June to September, often triggers landslides in the mountainous country.
Nepal’s Home Ministry banned all passenger buses from running at night in the areas heavily affected by the monsoon.
