Eight vehicles still missing in Trishuli river; Former Home Minister's whereabouts unknown

Kathmandu: Former Home Minister Madhav Prasad Ghimire, along with his brothers Prakash and Manmohan, fell into the Trishuli River from Ghoptebhir in Darechok, Chitwan, while returning to Kathmandu after visiting Muktinath. On October 9, 2073 B.S., their Scorpio vehicle (license plate Ba 9 Cha 1531) fell 150 meters off the road. Madhav and his brothers have been missing ever since.

Ghimire's Scorpio vehicle is still unaccounted for. Divers from the Armed Police Force, who have been engaged in rescue operations for a long time, believe that the vehicle has likely been broken into pieces and lost due to the force of the river's current.

Since 2073 B.S., seven vehicles that fell into the Trishuli River have not been found. According to the statistics from the Disaster Management Training Center of the Armed Police Force in Kurintar, these include two Scorpios, two trucks, one tractor, and two deluxe buses. Additionally, a bus from 'Swabhiman Transport,' which fell into the Trishuli River in 2049 B.S., remains unaccounted for.

On Asar 28, 2081 B.S., two deluxe buses—Angel Deluxe (Province-03-006 Kha 1516) traveling from Birgunj to Kathmandu and Ganpati Deluxe (Bagmati Province-03-001 Kha 2495) traveling from Kathmandu to Gaur—fell into the Trishuli River on the Muglin-Narayangadh road section at Simaltal, Bharatpur Metropolitan City-29. According to Bagmati Province DIG Bishnu KC, the buses were swept away by landslide debris caused by continuous rainfall. Out of the 65 passengers on board, 3 survived by jumping out, and 18 bodies have been recovered.

The whereabouts of the remaining 44 passengers are unknown. Eleven divers from the Armed Police Force and eight from the Army have been deployed to search for the buses. According to Army spokesperson (Assistant Rathi) Gaurav Kumar KC, additional rescue teams have also been mobilized at the site. However, the buses' status remains unknown.

An officer with extensive rescue experience in the Armed Police Force expressed doubts about finding the buses. He stated that the high flow of the Trishuli River makes it difficult to locate the vehicles.

Statistics of missing vehicles in the Trishuli River:

On Asar 9, 2074 B.S., a Scorpio (Na 1 Jha 1390) carrying Police Assistant Inspector (ASI) Nishchal Tamang and other security personnel from the Area Police Office in Muglin, along with a goods-carrying truck (Na 5 Kha 7827), fell into the Trishuli River when a landslide struck Kali Khola at 1:15 AM. The bodies of four individuals were recovered from the accident, but the Scorpio and the truck remain missing.

On Sawan 28, 2079 B.S., a truck (Na 7 Kha 7103) traveling from Muglin to Kathmandu fell into the Trishuli River near the Nagdi Khola bridge in Ichchakamana Rural Municipality-5. The truck remains unaccounted for, although the driver survived.

Why are the vehicles not found?
In 2049 B.S., a bus from 'Swabhiman Transport' fell into the Trishuli River near Krishnabhir. The bus, traveling from Kakadvitta to Kathmandu, carried 42 passengers, none of whom were found.

DIG Kumar Nyaupane, spokesperson for the Armed Police Force, attributes the long absence of vehicle remnants and passenger whereabouts primarily to the river's flow and depth. During the monsoon season, some vehicle fragments are found, but identifying them is challenging. Scrap collectors often take away these fragments. An officer active in Trishuli River rescue operations explained that the high flow causes vehicles to sink to the riverbed and get stuck among large rocks.

Rescuers describe the Trishuli River as a 'mystery river.' The powerful current causes vehicles to break apart and disappear, according to rescuers. An Armed Police Force diver stated, "Trishuli flows swiftly year-round, displacing bodies from seats."

Rescuers have noted that vehicles often disappear in the Narayani River's tributaries leading to the Gandak Canal.

On Baisakh 25, 2079 B.S., a tractor (Ga 1 Ta 4898) fell into the Trishuli River at Jyamireghat in Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality-9, Dhading, due to high speed. The driver, Magar Singh Chepang from Ichchakamana Rural Municipality-1, Chitwan, went missing, and the tractor has not been found.

In rivers with lower flow, vehicles and people are found more frequently. In 2071 B.S., a bus fell into the Bheri River in Jajarkot. Armed Police Force divers conducted a rescue operation, retrieving 47 passengers from the bus seats due to the low flow. However, such conditions do not exist in the Trishuli River.