Nepal Seeks India’s Help to Find Missing Buses and Passengers After Landslide
Nepal has formally requested India’s assistance in locating two buses and over five dozen passengers swept away by a landslide in Central Nepal. The landslide occurred on Friday morning, and Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs wrote to India on Monday for help.
Bhismakumar Bhusal, Joint Secretary at the Disaster and Conflict Management Division under the Home Ministry, confirmed the request. He stated, “We have written to the Indian government asking for technical assistance, including divers, via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal.”
Bhusal added that all available resources in Nepal were not enough, which is why they sought India’s help. This is the first time Nepal has asked India for this kind of assistance, although they have previously asked Bangladesh for help in similar situations.
The letter to India requested supporting technologies to trace and retrieve bodies or remains from the Trishuli River, where the buses were swept away. As of Tuesday morning, 13 bodies had been recovered from the river.
According to the police, nine bodies were found in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East), three in Chitwan, and one in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta West). Deputy Superintendent of Police Bed Bahadur Poudel confirmed that four bodies were found in Nawalparasi on Monday alone. Five of the nine bodies recovered in Nawalpur have been identified as passengers from the buses.
The identified bodies include:
- Ramit Kasur Majhi, 19, from Barahathawa municipality-3 (Sarlahi)
- Bikas Pariyar, 22, from Madi-1 (Chitwan)
- Sajad Ansari, 30, from Bihar’s Betiya
- Rahum Miya, 17, from Jamunamai rural municipality-4 (Rautahat)
- Rishipal Sah, 28, from Sitamadi Barganiya, India
- Jay Prakash Thakur, 30, from Sitamadi Betiya, India
- Paramananda Pandit, 43, from Bara
These bodies have been sent to Bharatpur Hospital.
