Madan Ashrit Highway disaster
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| Date | July 12, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Time | c. 3:30 a.m. (NST) |
| Location | Chitwan District, Nepal |
| Cause | Mountain landslide triggered by monsoon rains |
| Deaths | 19+ |
| Non-fatal injuries | 3 |
| Missing | 40 |
The Madan Ashrit Highway disaster was a road accident on July 12, 2024 that was caused by a large landslide that pushed two buses carrying a total of 65 passengers on the Madan Ashrit Highway into the Trishuli River in Nepal.[1] The disaster left at least 19 people dead,[2] injured three people and left 40 others missing.[3]
The monsoon season in Nepal causes significant rainfall to fall from June to September annually, causing mountainous landslides and increased river water levels. Landslides in Nepal during the 24-hour period prior to the accident killed seventeen people.[3]
The Madan Ashrit Highway or NH44 is the busiest international roadway link in Nepal. It carries roughly 20,000 vehicles daily, accounting for about 90% of international traffic.[4] One of the buses was driving roughly 41 passengers from Nepalese capital Kathmandu to Guar, and was operated by Ganapati Deluxe. The second bus was driving roughly 24 passengers from Birgunj to Kathmandu, and was operated by Angel Deluxe. The Angel Deluxe bus was carrying seven Indian nationals.[1]
Disaster
At around 3:30 am local time, a large landslide struck the two buses as they were driving on the Narayanghat-Mugling road section in the Chitwan district, pushing them into the flooded Trishuli River at least 100 feet from the road which swept the buses downstream.[5][6] The buses were pushed through concrete barriers before rolling down a steep embankment next to the river.[6] Three passengers on the Ganapati Deluxe bus were able to jump out of the vehicle and swim to stable ground before locals took them to a hospital for treatment.[1][3]
One victim was recovered about 50 km (31 miles) downstream of the landslide.[7] By 18 July, at least 19 bodies had been recovered, including one that was recovered 100 kilometers away near the border with India. At least seven of the fatalities were identified as Indian nationals.[8][2]
A third bus was struck by a different landslide on a nearby section of the same highway, killing the driver with further details on casualties currently unknown.[3]
