The Rapti Highway, which had been blocked for 16 hours due to a landslide at Chorkhola in ward 3 of Kapurkot Rural Municipality, has reopened after debris was cleared on Friday.

The landslide occurred at around 10pm on Thursday, following continuous rainfall, halting all vehicular movement along the highway.

According to Police Inspector Resham Bahadur Khatri of the District Police Office, Salyan, the road could not be cleared overnight, and efforts to remove the debris with an earthmover from early morning were hampered by falling rocks.

With the road now cleared, dozens of stranded vehicles and passengers have resumed their journeys. However, Inspector Khatri warned travellers and transport operators to exercise caution, as Chorkhola is prone to frequent landslides and rockfalls during rain.

He added that although blacktopping work is ongoing from Chorkhola to Ramri, recurring landslides continue to pose challenges for commuters.