Simaltal landslide: 300 APF personnel mobilized for rescue operation

Kathmandu: As many as 300 Armed Police Force (APF) personnel have been mobilized for the search and rescue of the passengers of buses that were struck by a landslide last Friday.

Two buses that were swept away by a landslide at Simaltal of Bharatpur Metropolitan City-29 in Chitwan district went missing in the Trishuli River. Out of 65 passengers in the buses, three managed to save their lives while 62 are still missing.

The bodies of 15 passengers were recovered today at noon. The security personnel were deployed in the areas of around 132 kilometres from Simaltal to Gandak Barrage for search and rescue operations, said APF’s Deputy Spokesperson Shailendra Thapa.

The security personnel including 11 deep divers, two motor boats and seven raft boats have been employed under the command of the Superintendent of Police of the Disaster Management Training School at Kurintar, Thapa.

Search and rescue operations are underway in the areas including the accident site as well as from Devghat to Shivaghat, Shivaghat to Sisambar, and from Sisabar to Golaghat by mobilizing 15 different groups of security personnel, it was informed.

Additionally, the security personnel are also operating search and rescue operations at Ramnagar, Jugedi, Gaighat, and Aaptari, APF official source shared.