KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Rescuers in Nepal recovered Saturday the first body after a landslide swept away two buses, pushing them into a raging river a day earlier, authorities said.
The buses, carrying more than 50 people, fell into the Trishuli river which was swollen by continuous rainfall over the past few days as heavy monsoon downpours turned their waters murky brown, making it even more difficult to see the wreckage.
The body was that of a man and was found some 50 kilometers (31 miles) from where the buses fell, said government administrator Khima Nanda Bhusal. He added rescuers found a bank card and were in the process of identifying the man whose body was transported to a nearby hospital.
Rescuers are now expanding their search area toward the southern region from the landslide area where the man’s body was found, Bhusal said.
Weather conditions improved Saturday and search teams were able to cover more ground in the hunt for the missing buses and passengers. Heavy equipment had cleared much of the landslides from the highway, making it easier to reach the area.
Soldiers and police teams were using rubber rafts, divers and sensor equipment to try and locate the buses, which were pushed off the highway into the river by a landslide.
Three people were ejected from the buses and were being treated in a nearby hospital.
Nepal’s rivers generally are fast-flowing due to the mountainous terrain. Heavy monsoon downpours in the past few days have swollen the waterways and turned their waters murky brown, making it even more difficult to see the wreckage.
The buses were on the key highway connecting Nepal’s capital to southern parts of the country when they were swept away Friday morning near Simaltal, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kathmandu.
A third bus was hit by another landslide Friday morning a short distance away on the same highway. Authorities said the driver was killed but it was not clear if there were any other casualties.
Monsoon season brings heavy rains to Nepal from June to September, often triggering landslides in the mountainous Himalayan country.
The government has imposed a ban on passenger buses traveling at night in the areas where weather warnings are posted, according to the Home Ministry.