No hope for survivors of Nepal bus crash, 55 people still missing | World News

Rescue workers in Nepal ruled out on Monday that there could be no survivors after last week’s landslide. The landslide swept two buses with 65 passengers into a river swollen by heavy rains, authorities said.

Hundreds of security forces resumed search operations early Monday morning to find the buses and 55 passengers who were still missing more than 72 hours after the accident.

Search teams searching the accident site in Chitwan district, about 86 kilometers west of the capital Kathmandu, on Friday have so far found seven bodies, including two from Monday.

“There is no chance of finding survivors. Our focus is on recovering the bodies,” said Bhesh Raj Rijal, a senior police officer in Chitwan district.

Family members gathered at the search site have given up hope of finding their loved ones alive, an official said.

“They are asking us to at least find the bodies. The situation here is grim,” said Khimananda Bhusal, a government official in the district.

Landslides and floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains have killed more than 100 people in Nepal since mid-June.

Following the landslide, the government announced plans to ban night-time bus travel in places where bad weather is forecast.