Nepal: Rescuers losing hope of finding landslide survivors

Rescue teams in Nepal on Saturday recovered a first body as they searched  for 51 passengers and crew who went missing when a landslide the previous day swept two buses into a river. 

The body was that of a man and was found some 50 kilometers (31 miles) from where the disaster occurred, according to government administrator Khima Nanda Bhusal. 

Officials said that chances of finding any survivors were diminishing as search efforts press on along the river, swollen by relentless rainfall.

"Chances of finding survivors are slim because over 30 hours have passed since the buses were swept into the river. The water level has receded this morning, but it is still very murky," Bhusal told Reuters news agency.

More than 500 rescuers, mobilized by Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, were at the site. Residents found three people who managed to jump out of the bus, sustaining only minor injuries. They were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Teams from the army and the police have been using rubber rafts, divers and sensor equipment to try and locate the buses.

Several Indian nationals among the missing  

Police said the incident took place in Chitwan district, about 86 kilometers (53 miles) west of Kathmandu, and that a third bus was hit by another landslide on Friday morning a short distance away on the same stretch of road, killing the driver.

Seven Indian nationals were also among those missing.

After the landslide, Nepal's government has banned buses from traveling at night through regions with poor weather forecasts. 

mk/wd (Reuters, AP)