Simaltal Landslide: 149 APF personnel mobilized to search for missing bus passengers

KATHMANDU: One hundred and forty-nine personnel of the Armed Police Force (APF) have been mobilized to search for passengers of the two buses that were swept into the Trishuli river by a landslide last Friday.

Seventy-nine personnel, including 11 divers, are working under the leadership of a Deputy Superintendent of Police from the APF Nepal Disaster Management Training Academy in Kurintar.

APF Nepal’s joint spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent Shailendra Thapa, reported that APF personnel are stationed along various areas of the Trishuli riverbank to search for the missing passengers.

In addition to the APF, personnel from the Nepali Army and Nepal Police are also involved in the search efforts.

The APF has deployed 25 personnel under the command of an Inspector at the Simaltal landslide site, 11 personnel at the Chunauli area under a Deputy Superintendent from the No. 17 Battalion, 15 personnel with rafting boats at the Golaghat area under a Sub-Inspector, 10 personnel at Devghat under a Sub-Inspector, and nine personnel at Pulchok, Bharatpur, also under a Sub-Inspector.

Despite the high water volume and murky conditions, the search operation continues.

Security personnel are using drone cameras, sonar cameras, and other equipment to aid in the search.

So far, five bodies of missing passengers have been recovered, with three identified as Bikas Pariyar, 22, of Madi Municipality-1, Ramit Kushar Majhi, 19, of Barahathawa Municipality-3, Sarlahi, and Rishipal Saha, 28, of Barginiya Jamuhawa, Sitamadi, Bihar, India.

Chief District Officer Indradev Yadav confirmed the extensive mobilization of security personnel at the incident site in Simaltal and along the Narayani river downstream.

The two passenger buses, one traveling from Kathmandu to Gaur and the other from Birgunj to Kathmandu, were washed away by the landslide at Simaltal, Bharatpur Metropolitan City-29.

It is estimated that the buses were carrying 38 and 27 passengers, respectively.

The search for the missing buses and passengers continues, with no sign of the wreckage so far.