KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — As many as 66 people are missing in Nepal after a landslide sent two buses off a highway into a swollen river on Friday, officials said.
Rescue workers tried to find the bus and save the passengers, but persistent rain hampered rescue efforts.
The route to the accident area was blocked at several places due to landslides, government official Khima Nanada Bhusal said.
The buses were swept away around 3 a.m. Friday, and additional rescue workers and security forces have been sent to the area to assist with rescue efforts.
One bus had 24 people on it, the other 42. However, according to Bhusal, more people could have boarded during the journey.
The monsoon season, which begins in June and ends in September, brings heavy rainfall to Nepal, often causing landslides in the Himalayan country, which is largely covered by mountains.
