'Sonar' camera to find lost buses and passengers

A technical team including an engineer has come from the armed forces' headquarters to search for the missing. SP Puri said that 'Sonar Camera' gives information up to 300 meters depth. The sonar camera that was used earlier used to indicate whether there is an object in the water or not. The current camera shows the shape and form of the object," he said.

Divers went inside Trishuli on Saturday based on the signal given by the old 'sonar'. But there is a big block of concrete on the surface of the water. This new sonar indicates the shape of a rock. If you just look at it, it will show the same shape. This will make it very easy for us in the investigation," SP Puri said.

Even if the water in the river is cloudy, it will not make any difference in the work done by 'Sonar', he said. However, if the current is high, it is difficult to operate the motorboat. The rescue team has proceeded from the scene of the incident by keeping a 'screen' on the motorboat itself. The team also came to Devghat and searched. SP Puri said that they will search till Golaghat, 50 km away from the incident site.

After 'Sonar' started searching, the search has been suspended. Until Monday evening, "Sonar" searched two kilometers below the incident site, but nothing was found.

Sai Ramesh Bahadur Thapa of Armed Forces has spent 12 years as a diver in Kurintar. After the Simaltal accident, he is continuously searching for the missing passengers and the bus. We do not have a problem with the depth of investigation. But since the water is very cloudy, the visibility is almost zero. As the flow is very high, the risk is also high," said Thapa. He said that despite the challenges, the divers are still searching.

It is believed that driving at a speed of more than two knots is not suitable. Two knots means that the water speed remains at four kilometers per hour. But we have worked even in currents of 20 to 30 km per hour," said Thapa. He said that we have to deal with many obstacles in the rainy season such as mudha, wood, etc.

On Sunday, he said that he searched for half an hour continuously in the water at a possible place one km below the incident site. According to him, the water is very frightening and he has to try again and again to reach the place he wants to go. Another diver of the armed forces, Narayan Kauchha, has also been continuously engaged in the search.

Scoopa set and tools weigh 20-25 kg. When the water flow is fast, it is difficult to reach the target in the water, he said. Chief District Officer of Chitwan Indradev Yadav said that 12 divers from armed forces and five divers from the army were deployed in the search.

On Friday morning, Ganpati Transport bus number 03-001 B 2495 coming from Gaur from Kathmandu and Bagmati bus number 03-006 B 1516 going to Kathmandu from Birganj went missing in a landslide in Simaltal-29 Simaltal, 22 km northeast of Narayangadh. Although the bus reached the river, three passengers of Ganapati Transport managed to save their lives by swimming while the rest of the passengers were swept away along with the bus.

The Chitwan administration has informed that there are 38 passengers on the bus coming to Gaur and 65 passengers on the bus going to Kathmandu. It has been confirmed that seven of the 13 bodies found in different places of the Narayani River till Monday are those of the missing in the Simal Lake accident. The condition of the other 55 passengers is unknown as of Monday.