Dhading, March 9:

The body of a passenger of the bus, which skidded off the Prithvi Highway and plunged into the Trishuli River on Tuesday, was recovered from the river today. The dead was identified as Chhyoki Nima Rimpoche Lama, chief of Bee VDC (Gorkha)-based Shringi Monastery. With the latest find, the mishap toll has reached six, the Dhading District Police Office said. Forty passengers, including Tibetan religious guru Gholak Lama, have been missing.

Though rescuers have been trying to take out the bus from the river with the help of a crane, the breaking down of its chain has hindered the effort.

Five out of 11 passengers, who were rescued immediately after the mishap, died instantly.

Police identified the five dead passengers as Laxmi Giri, 34, of Haldibari (Jhapa),

Dinesh Shrestha, 28, of Amlekhagunj (Bara), Khush Bahadur Dulal of Sindhupalchowk, Shanti Shah,71, of Darjeeling and Sushil Bansal, 36, of Siliguri.

Meanwhile, relatives of the missing passengers have called for fresh rescue efforts.

A team comprising the CDO of Dhading Ram Saran Chimoriya, superintendent of police Mahendra Kumar Pokhrel, chief of the Jogimara Brigade, Ganesh Bhandari, has been launching the rescue efforts.