The death toll in the Jhyaplekhola landslide in Dhunibesi Muncipality-9, Dhading, has reached 30 with the retrieval of 16 additional bodies on Sunday morning.
Three big buses and one microbus have been found buried in the landslide. Sixteen additional bodies have been retrieved today. Fourteen bodies were recovered from the incident site on Saturday and taken to TU Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj for postmortem.
Of the 30 bodies retrieved, 13 have been identified, the Police Inspector Prahlad Silwal of DPO, Dhading, told Nepalkhabar.
According to Silwal, those identified are Sita Bhattarai, her son, Dipesh Bhattarai, and Dipika Bhattarai of Galyang Municipality-3, Syangja.
Similarly, Prakash Kunwar, Sirjana Kunwar, Anu Malla, of Semlar, Butwal, Bir Bahadur Rayamajhi, Pramila Rayamajhi and Kris Rayamajhi of Gulmi, Charpala were killed in the landslide.
Also those killed include Bom Bahadur Magar, Kapilvastu, Jitpur, Bhima Kumari whose whereabouts are yet to be ascertained. Likewise, the dead bodies of Bom Karki and Prakash Kunwar have also been recovered. Their identities are yet to be ascertained, the police said.
Two vehicles were found on Saturday itself and the remaining two vehicles including one microbus were found this morning.
It has been confirmed that one of the buses, buried at Dhunibesi Municipality-9, Jhyaplekhola, Dhading, was heading to Kathmandu carrying passengers from Lapu, Gorkha.
"The ill-fated bus, Ba 4 Kha 2270, was heading to Kathmandu from Dharche Rural Municipality-7, Lapu, Gorkha," the District Police Office, Dhading confirmed.
The bus had gone missing since Friday.
Another microbus heading to Kathmandu from Chitwan has also been found buried in the landslide.
The retrieval work is underway. The number of passengers and their identities are yet to be ascertained.
