Nepal landslides sweep two buses into river; 65 passengers missing

Dozens dead in Himalayan nation since middle of June as torrential monsoon rains triggered landslides and flooding

KATHMANDU:

Landslides in Nepal swept two buses with at least 65 passengers on board into a river on Friday, while landslides elsewhere in the mountainous country killed at least 10 people, police said.

Dozens have died in the Himalayan nation since the middle of June as torrential monsoon rains triggered landslides and flooding.

On Friday, authorities mobilised the military and police to search for the 65 missing passengers swept into the Trishuli River in the early hours.

The incident happened in Chitwan district, about 86 kilometres (53 miles) west of Kathmandu, police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki said.

"There were 41 people in the bus travelling from Kathmandu to Gaur, and 24 people in the bus travelling from Birgunj to Kathmandu. Both the buses and the passengers are missing in Trishuli River," he said.

In Kaski district, 150 kilometres (93 miles) west of the capital, 10 people were killed when landslides washed away three houses, Karki added.

Landslides and floods have killed at least 91 people in Nepal since mid-June.

In a social media post on Friday, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed sadness over the disasters and instructed government agencies to conduct effective search and rescue operations.