Kathmandu: In a shocking development, an Indian passenger bus carrying 40 passengers plunged into the Marsyangdi river in Nepal's Tanahun district, according to police.' The bus was reportedly en route to Kathmandu from Pokhara when it met with the road mishap, Tanahun DSP Deepkumar Raya told news agency ANI.
At least 27 people have been killed and several others have been rescued.
"Death toll rose to 27 in the bus accident," said Chief District Officer of Tanahun, Janardan Gautam.
“The bus bearing number plate UP FT 7623 plunged into the river and is lying on the bank of the river,” Raya confirmed. The bus was heading to Gorakhpur from Pokhara via Kathmandu and the mishap most likely occurred due to bad weather amid the ongoing monsoon session.
A team of 45 Armed Police Force personnel led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Madhav Paudel from the Armed Police Force Nepal Disaster Management Training School has already reached the accident site and is carrying out the rescue operation. An MI-17 helicopter of Nepal Army carrying a medical team has flown to the incident site in Tanahun district from the helipad in Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu: Communications department of Nepal Army.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal said it was coordinating with local authorities in rescue and relief operations. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner said, "Regarding the Nepal incident. We are establishing contact to find out if any person from Uttar Pradesh was on the bus."
Last month, two passenger buses carrying 65 people, including seven Indians, were swept by a massive landslide on the Madan-Ashrit Highway in Central Nepal into the Trishuli River. The bodies of five Indians were recovered later. Despite extensive search operations, including the deployment of a 12-member team from India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), authorities have not yet located the two missing buses and several passengers swept away by the landslide
As of August 12, search teams have found 25 bodies in the Narayani riverbanks and the Triveni Dam area, which is located 103 km from the disaster site. Nearly 200 people have died in the past two months due to landslides and floods caused by incessant rain in various parts of Nepal, while 5,000 people have been displaced.
Nepal's rivers are generally fast-flowing due to the mountainous terrain. Heavy monsoon downpours in the past few days have swollen the waterways and made it even more difficult to see the wreckage.
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