Chitwan : Police suspect that both buses caught in the landslide along the Narayanghat-Muglin road at Simaltal have fallen into the Trishuli River. It is estimated that about 65 passengers, including the drivers, were on board these buses.

According to Indradev Yadav, Chief District Officer of Chitwan, who reached the incident site, the Bagmati Province 1516 Angel Deluxe bus coming from Birgunj to Kathmandu and the Ganapati Deluxe bus with an unknown number going from Kathmandu to Gaur were caught in the landslide at Simaltal in Bharatpur Metropolitan City Ward No. 29 at around 3:30 AM today.

Yadav estimates that there were 41 passengers on the bus going to Gaur and 24 passengers on the bus coming to Kathmandu. However, the exact details of the passengers are yet to be known.

The status of both buses and the passengers is unknown. Chief District Officer Yadav stated, “We are at the incident site. The search operation is ongoing as we clear the landslide debris.”

The District Police Office in Chitwan has deployed 75 people for search and rescue operations, and divers have been called in to search the Trishuli River for the buses.