KATHMANDU: A task force has recommended that the government provide Rs 200,000 in compensation to the families of the victims of the Simaltal landslide.
The task force was formed to investigate the disappearance of two buses and their passengers in the Trishuli River due to a landslide in Simaltal, located on the Narayangadh-Muglin road section of Chitwan.
The task force submitted its report to Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak on Tuesday.
The recommendation includes Rs 200,000 for the families of each victim, with an additional Rs 100,000 for families who lost more than one member.
The task force also advised compensation for the families of those who are still missing and free medical treatment for the injured, as the accident was classified as a natural disaster.
Home Minister Lekhak formed the five-member task force, led by Joint Secretary Chabi Rizal, with representatives from three security agencies and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure to study the incident.
On July 12, two buses—Bagmati Province 03-006 Kha 1516, traveling from Birgunj to Kathmandu, and Bagmati Province 03-001 Kha 2459, heading from Kathmandu to Gaur—were swept away by the Trishuli River following a landslide in Simaltal.
Out of the 65 passengers on the two buses, three managed to escape by jumping out, while the bodies of 24 individuals were recovered.
The condition of the remaining two buses and 38 passengers is still unknown.
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