On the morning of July 13, Nepalese rescue teams continued to search for at least 63 people missing after a landslide swept two buses into the river.

According to CNN, the landslide occurred in the early morning of July 12 in Chitwan district, central Nepal, along the Narayanghat-Mugling highway, about 100 km west of the capital Kathmandu. The landslide from the mountainside pushed two buses off the protective concrete barrier and into the river at least 30 meters below the road.

Dozens of rescuers have been searching for the missing in the raging Trishuli River for hours. Muddy water and strong currents forced rescuers to call off the search on the evening of July 12. There has been no sign of the two buses or their passengers. The buses were carrying at least 66 people, but three passengers managed to escape and were treated at a local hospital.

Deadly accidents are common in Nepal due to poor roads, poorly maintained vehicles and reckless driving. Nearly 2,400 people died on Nepal’s roads in the 12 months to April, according to government figures. Road travel becomes more dangerous during the monsoon season, when heavy rains often cause landslides and floods.

The monsoon season in South Asia runs from June to September. So far this season, floods, landslides and lightning strikes have killed 88 people in Nepal.

KHANH MINH