Traffic has been halted across the Lokaha bridge on the Narayangadh–Kawasoti section of the Mahendra Highway after part of the ageing structure sagged on Saturday evening.

Yubaraj Khadka, chief of the district police, Nawalpur, said the middle section of the iron bridge had sunk. Authorities stopped vehicles from crossing it because the damaged section could give way under traffic.

A diversion has been set up to keep vehicles moving. The 50-year-old bridge is on the left side of the highway when travelling from Kawasoti towards Narayangadh.

On January 10, 2025, another bridge on the Mahendra Highway, at Dumkibas, collapsed. Five other iron bridges built around 50 years ago in eastern Nawalparasi are also in a dilapidated condition.