KATHMANDU: The Nepalese government has decided to seek technical support and equipment from India and China to locate two buses that have been missing with passengers in the Trishuli River since July 12.
Acknowledging that Nepal’s resources are insufficient for the search, the government is in the process of acquiring specialized equipment from its neighboring countries. Home Secretary Eaknarayan Aryal, who visited the incident site with security chiefs from Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force to oversee search and rescue operations, confirmed that requests for equipment have been made to the embassies of India and China.
“The search for the buses and passengers will now proceed more rapidly. The embassies of China and India are positive about providing the necessary equipment for the search operations,” Aryal told journalists at the rescue site in Chitwan on Sunday.
Secretary Aryal noted that the type of equipment required would depend on the depth of the Trishuli River. “The equipment will be requested based on the river’s depth. The embassy officials are also positive about bringing the equipment at the earliest possible,” he added.
Despite having a contingency plan, the accident was catastrophic, Aryal said, emphasizing that their top priority is to identify the missing bodies and provide relief to the families of the deceased.
The two buses with 65 passengers have been missing since Friday morning in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-29, Simaltaal. The missing buses include Ganapati Deluxe (Bagmati Province 001 Kha 2495) traveling from Kathmandu to Gaur, and Angels Dealers (Bagmati Province 03-006 Kha-1516) traveling from Birgunj to Kathmandu.
Out of the 65 passengers, three managed to swim to safety, while the bodies of eight passengers have been recovered as of Sunday. Five bodies were found on Sunday, and three on Saturday.
The Chitwan District Police Office identified the deceased using identification cards found with the bodies. The identified victims include 40-year-old Sazad Ansari from West Champaran, Bettiah District, Bihar, India, and Prakash Thakur from Rautahat. Additionally, the bodies of 22-year-old Bikas Pariyar from Chitwan Madi, 19-year-old Ramit Kushar Majhi from Sarlahi Barahathwa, and 28-year-old Rishi Pal from Sitamarhi, Bihar, India, were recovered on Saturday.
A joint team of the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police has been searching for the buses for three days but has yet to locate them. To intensify the search efforts, Home Secretary Aryal, Chief of the Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma, Inspector General of Police Basanta Bahadur Kunwar, and Inspector General of the Armed Police Force Raju Aryal visited the site.
Families of the missing passengers have criticized the delay in search and rescue operations. Superintendent of Police (SP) Shailendra Thapa acknowledged the slow progress despite using advanced technology and stated that the challenging terrain and water conditions have hindered their efforts.
The Armed Police Force emphasized the unique topography of Nepal, stating that relying solely on foreign technology might not be feasible. The joint effort of all three security agencies continues to make the rescue operations more effective, with a focus on retrieving the bodies to provide closure to the bereaved families.