Simaltal Landslide update: Three bodies found identified

Bharatpur (Chitwan)- The identity of all three bodies found in Narayani river on Saturday have been revealed. The police said that the bodies were those of the passengers of the two passenger buses that plunged into the Trishuli river after being swept away by a landslide.

Spokesman of District Police Office Bheshraj Rijal said that two dead bodies found on Narayani river island in Giandakot Municipality-7 and one found in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-28 were confirmed to be passengers of the Simaltal incident. One of the three bodies found on Saturday has been confirmed to be that of 22-year-old Bikas Pariyar of Chitwan Madi Municipality-1.

Vijay Pariyar, brother of the deceased, identified the body. Pariyar had reportedly boarded the Birganj to Kathmandu-bound bus from Bharatpur. Another body found near the body of deceased Bikas has also been confirmed to be that of 19-year-old Ramit Kushar Majhi of Sarlahi Barhathwa Municipality-3. Likewise, the body found in Golaghat has been confirmed to be 28-year-old Rishi Pal Sah from Sitamani, Bihar, India.

The bodies have been handed over to the relatives on Saturday. It may be noted that on Friday, two passenger buses including one going to Kathmandu from Birgunj and another going to Gaur from Kathmandu fell into Trishuli after falling into a landslide at Simaltal Bharatpur Municipal Corporation-29. The two buses were carrying 27 and 24 passengers respectively.

The search for the missing bus and passengers continues today, with no sign of the bus wreckage so far. Chief District Officer Indradev Yadav said that a large number of security personnel have been mobilized for the search being carried out in the incident-site i.e. Simaltal and along the Narayani river downstream.