63 missing after Nepal landslide sweeps two buses into river

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KATHMANDU, Nepal/AP/ — At least 60 people were believed missing in Nepal after two buses were swept by a landslide off a highway and into a swollen river early Friday. Three passengers were rescued as the continuous rain made rescue efforts difficult.

The three survivors were being treated in the hospital, government administrator Khima Nanada Bhusal said, adding that they reportedly jumped out of the bus and swam to the banks, where locals found them and took them to a nearby hospital.

People watch the flooded Bagmati river in Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, July 6, 2024.(AP/Representational Image)

Landslides also blocked routes to the area in several places, according to Bhusal. Additional rescuers and security forces have been sent to help with rescue efforts.

The buses were swept off the highway around 3 a.m. near Simaltal, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu.

One bus was carrying at least 24 people, while the other had at least 42, but more could have boarded en route, Bhusal said.