Kathmandu, Jul. 12, (dpa/GNA) – At least 60 people are missing after part of a hill collapsed and swept away two passenger buses on a highway in Nepal on Friday, police said.

Nepal Police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki said search and rescue teams are trying to locate the buses. He said it is unclear if the buses are buried in the debris of the landslides or if they fell further down into the Trishuli River.

The incident occurred in Simaltaal in the Chitwan district, approximately 150 kilometres south-west of Kathmandu.

“We have information that between 60 to 65 people were in the two night buses,” Karki told dpa, adding that at least three people survived the accident.

Nepal has been witnessing persistent monsoon rains since last week, causing widespread devastation across the South Asian country.

Since early June, monsoon-induced disasters, including landslides, floods, and lightning, have claimed at least 80 lives, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

Massive rainfall during Nepal’s monsoon season, which spans from June to September, often triggers flooding and landslides. The damage is often extensive and the results deadly, with floods washing entire houses away.

At the same time, the rain is vital for agriculture in the country of 30 million people.

GNA