A landslide at Jhyaple Khola along the Tribhuvan Highway in Dhading has claimed the lives of at least 14 people, whose bodies were recovered from two buses buried in the debris.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police Basant Rajoure, police teams deployed from Kathmandu and Dhading retrieved the bodies on Saturday evening.

Five bodies were recovered from Lu 1 Ja 4578 microbus, while nine bodies were found in another bus, the registration number of which has yet to be ascertained. The search operation at the place is ongoing, and police deployed at the site fear the death toll may rise.

“Further rescue efforts are underway at the site as police continue to search for more victims,” police said.

Around half a dozen vehicles were caught in the landslide, leading to the blockage of the key entry point into the capital city Kathmandu.