Dhading, August 10

The death toll in Friday’s bus plunge into the Trishuli River has reached 8 with five bodies from among 30 missing persons recovered today.

The accident had occurred when a commuter bus bound for Kathmandu from Sarlahi’s Malangawa veered off the road and fell some 200 metres below into the river at Salangghat of Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality-3 at 3:00 am.

While three persons were confirmed dead yesterday, 30 were still missing. Police and rescue workers had rescued 16 persons from the ill-fated bus and sent them to Kathmandu for treatment. Of the deceased, identification of five persons has been confirmed so far. They are Sunil Kumar Shrivastav and his wife Nima Shrivastav, bus helper Rishi Upreti and Indian nationals Bijaya Kurmi and Ajaya Das.

While the bodies of the Shrivastav couple were retrieved from near Krishnabhir, two bodies were recovered from Jugedi of Chitwan and one more from Devghat.

According to SP Ram Kumar Baidawar of Dhading District Police Office, the bodies recovered from Jugedi and Devghat of Chitwan today are yet to be identified.

“As for the missing persons, police are continuing their search with the help of local units of Nepal Police in Dhading, Chitwan, Gorkha, Tanahun and Nawalparasi along the river,” said SP Baidawar.