KATHMANDU: A 19-kg magnetic device used to locate missing buses in the Trishuli River was swept away by the river on Saturday. The buses had fallen into the river three weeks ago due to a landslide at Simaltal, Chitwan. Despite ongoing search efforts by the Nepal-India Joint Security Force, the condition of the buses and passengers remained unknown, prompting the use of magnetic devices brought from India for the search on Wednesday.

The Armed Police Force (APF) of Nepal reported that the 19-kg device was lost during the search operation. Janak Puri, Information Officer at the APF-Nepal Disaster Management Training School in Kurintar, mentioned that both a 14-kg and a 19-kg magnetic device were deployed to locate the buses, and efforts to find the missing buses and the lost device are ongoing.

Since July 21, APF Nepal and a 12-person technical team from the National Disaster Response Team of India have been undertaking the search. The incident happened when a landslide carried two buses into the river: one from Birgunj to Kathmandu and the other from Kathmandu to Gaur. Only three of the 65 passengers on board made it out alive, with the remaining 62 going lost.

Of the missing 62 passengers, the bodies of 24 have been recovered from various locations, but the whereabouts of the remaining 38 passengers and the two buses are still unknown. The search continues as authorities hope to locate the missing individuals and the buses.