A section of road in Naxal area caved in on Sunday morning due to extensive digging at the construction site of a proposed five-star hotel.

The crumbling of the road section between Bhagwati Bahal Temple and Bal Mandir, an orphanage, swallowed up one lane of the street, opening a cavity measuring around 25 meters deep, according to the Department of Roads.

“The developers had dug a big hole around two to three storeys deep to lay the foundation of the proposed hotel. Use of heavy equipment too played a catalytic role in causing the accident,” Roads Department Spokesperson Dayakanta Jha said.

The damage caused to the road segment severely affected vehicular movement in area throughout Sunday. The department has said it would take at least two to three days to repair the segment.

A preliminary assessment carried out by Roads Department officials revealed that the incident occurred “despite taking proper precautionary measures”. “Pile foundation, which is required for such construction, is right in place,” Jha said.

The property where the hotel is being built belongs to Jagadamba Hospitality Group, a subsidiary of Shankar Group. The group is planning to sign a management contract with Doubletree Hilton to operate the hotel.

Doubletree Hilton is a chain operated by Hilton Hotels and Resorts, one of the largest hotel chains in the world.

“Shanker Group has already informed us that it will do the needful to repair the road section,” Jha said, adding, the property developer has acquired clearance from the Office of Kathmandu Metropolitan City for construction.

Shanker Group’s statement is in line with the government provision that makes property owners liable for damage caused to the public property.

“We have notified government agencies concerned about the incident, and we are committed to doing the needful for rebuilding the road at the possible earliest,” said Shahil Agrawal, Managing Director of Shanker Group, said adding the company has invited experts from India to assess the collapse.

Spread in an area of five ropanis, the hotel is expected to have 138 rooms and parking space for 120 four-wheelers and 200 two-wheelers. Jagadamba has appointed Miyamoto International, a global structural and earthquake engineering firm, to design the structure of the building. According to a report published by Miyamoto on its website, the 14-storey hotel will have three basement levels.

Miyamoto report also states that the proposed building will meet International Building Code as well as building standards of Nepal and India.