At least 63 people were missing in Nepal on Friday when a landslide caused by strong monsoon rains drove two buses off a roadway and into a river, according to officials.
Dozens of search and rescue teams were examining the scene for survivors of the accident in Chitwan’s central region, district official Khimananda Bhusal told AFP.
According to Bhusal, the buses were carrying at least 66 people each, however three passengers were able to escape before colliding into the Trishuli river and are now being treated in a hospital.
“We are not sure of the total number because the buses could have picked up others on the road,” he said.
“The river has swollen and no one else has been found yet.”
The collision occurred on the Narayanghat-Mugling route, approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Kathmandu, early Friday around 3:30 a.m. local time (2145 GMT Thursday).
One bus was traveling from Kathmandu to Gaur in the Rautahat district of southern Nepal, while the other was on its way to Kathmandu from southern Birgunj.
A driver was killed in a second accident on the same route when a boulder struck his bus. He died while being treated at a hospital.
In a message on the social networking platform X, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed his sadness over the accident.
“I direct all agencies of the government, including the home administration, to search for and effectively rescue the passengers,” he said.
Poorly designed roads, poorly maintained automobiles, and reckless driving all contribute to deadly crashes in the Himalayan nation.
According to government estimates, about 2,400 people died on Nepal’s roadways in the year ending in April.
In January, a bus traveling from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu crashed into a river, killing 12 people and injuring 24 others.
Road traffic becomes more dangerous during the annual monsoon season, when rainfall cause landslides and floods across the hilly republic.
Monsoon rains in South Asia from June to September provide relief from the summer heat and are critical for replenishing water supplies, but they also cause extensive death and disaster.
The rainfall is difficult to predict and fluctuates greatly, but experts believe climate change is making the monsoon stronger and more chaotic.
Floods, landslides, and lightning strikes have killed 88 people across the country since the monsoon began in June, according to police data.