Nepali rescue teams on Saturday (Jul 13) recovered the first body from around 50 people missing after monsoon rains triggered a landslide that swept two buses off a highway and into a river.

Nepali rescue teams on Saturday (Jul 13) recovered the first body from around 50 people missing after monsoon rains triggered a landslide that swept two buses off a highway and into a river. The force of Friday's landslide in central Chitwan district pushed the vehicles over concrete crash barriers and down a steep embankment, at least 30 metres (100 feet) from the road. "One body has been found about 55 kilometres (35 miles) from the accident site," police spokesman Kumar Neupane told AFP. District official Khimananda Bhusal told AFP that roughly 50 people remained unaccounted for, revising down the number of missing from the 63 reported by authorities on Friday. "It is hard to confirm the total number because we don't know if the buses stopped to pick or drop passengers along the way," he said. Dozens of rescuers spent hours struggling to comb the raging Trishuli river with rafts, sensor equipment and dive teams to find any trace of the passengers or the vehicles. Fierce currents made worse by this week's torrential downpours have hampered their efforts so far. "We will employ all our abilities for search and rescue despite the water levels, current and the water's muddiness," said Chitwan district chief Indra Dev Yadav. The accident happened before dawn on Friday along the Narayanghat-Mugling highway, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of Kathmandu. One bus was heading from the capital to Gaur in Rautahat district in southern Nepal, and the other was en route to Kathmandu from southern Birgunj. A driver was killed in a separate accident on the same road after a boulder hit his bus. He died as he was being treated at a hospital. Deadly crashes are common in the Himalayan republic because of poorly constructed roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving. Also read | Nepal: 63 missing after landslide sweeps two buses into river Nearly 2,400 people lost their lives on Nepal's roads in the 12 months to April, according to government figures. Twelve people were killed and 24 injured in an accident in January when a bus heading to Kathmandu from Nepalgunj fell into a river. Road travel becomes deadlier during the annual monsoon season as rains trigger landslides and floods across the mountainous country. Monsoon rains across South Asia from June to September offer respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies, but also bring widespread death and destruction. The rainfall is hard to forecast and varies considerably, but scientists say climate change is making the monsoon stronger and more erratic. Floods, landslides and lightning strikes have killed 88 people across the country since the monsoon began in June, according to police figures. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Nepal: First body recovered from two buses swept by landslides, four dozen still missing

A suspension bridge in the Butwal city of Nepal collapsed and was swept away by flash floods that has claimed at least 64 lives in the country in the last two days.&nbsp; 
 
The bridge, which crossed a part of the Tinau river, was completely destroyed as a bystander filmed the horrific moment. A police team was deployed to rescue people on the bank of the river when it collapsed, said the Himalayan Times. 
 
Floods and lanslides triggered by monsoon rains have affected over 14 of Nepal&rsquo;s 75 districts, Butwal being in one of them.The Nepal army has evacuated hundreds to safer places as the water levels rose. 
 
At least 64 people have died so far, news agency The Press Trust of India said. Over 20 are missing, said officials.&nbsp; 
 
(WION, PTI) 
 
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14 of Nepal's 75 districts are severely affected. About 20 people have gone missing

A suspension bridge in the Butwal city of Nepal collapsed and was swept away by flash floods that has claimed at least 64 lives in the country in the last two days. The bridge, which crossed a part of the Tinau river, was completely destroyed as a bystander filmed the horrific moment. A police team was deployed to rescue people on the bank of the river when it collapsed, said the Himalayan Times. Floods and lanslides triggered by monsoon rains have affected over 14 of Nepal’s 75 districts, Butwal being in one of them.The Nepal army has evacuated hundreds to safer places as the water levels rose. At least 64 people have died so far, news agency The Press Trust of India said. Over 20 are missing, said officials. (WION, PTI)

Nepal floods: Suspension bridge collapses, death toll mounts to 64

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Nepal: First body recovered from two buses swept by landslides, four dozen still missing

Nepal floods: Suspension bridge collapses, death toll mounts to 64