Bus from Gorkha to Kathmandu goes missing, search underway

Pokhara, September 29 — A bus departing from Lapubensi, Gorkha, for Kathmandu has gone missing. The bus, numbered Na 4 Kha 2270, left Lapubensi on Friday morning.

The bus was reported missing after relatives of passengers requested assistance in searching for it. "We have received information about the missing bus. The number of passengers on board is still unknown," said DSP Ramesh Kumar Shrestha, a spokesperson for the Gorkha police. "We are also searching for it."

Concerns have been raised that the bus may have been caught in a landslide, as the driver and co-driver are also out of contact. "It is said that there were not many passengers on the bus. The exact number is unclear," he added.

According to him, three staff members and one passenger were aboard. "It is said that there weren't many passengers when the bus left Gorkha, but some may have boarded along the way," he continued. "If we receive any details, we will make them public." Some passengers reportedly got off in Muglin.

One passenger, Surya Gurung, confirmed that there were not many passengers. When contacted by Ratopati, he said:

"Two people came from Lapubensi. After a while, one more boarded. Then passengers got on at various stops. Many boarded at Arughat. I was asleep, so I don't know how many others boarded. I didn't even realize when we reached Gorkha Bazar. We got off at Muglin. There were about 5-7 people on the bus, including my companion, Sukey Gurung, who was also heading to Kathmandu.

After getting off in Muglin, I quickly boarded a bus to Narayangadh. Later, around 7 PM, I received a call from Sukey. He mentioned he was stuck in traffic, and we couldn't talk further. I called him again that night to check in, but his phone was off. 

I thought it might be due to a dead battery, so I didn't pay much attention. The next day, his phone was still unreachable. It was only now that I found out the bus has gone missing, and Sukey has been out of contact since that day."