National
Floods, landslides disrupt travel, traffic resumes on key highways
Authorities clear major blockages on BP, Siddhartha, Kanti and East-West highways.
Post Report
Incessant rainfall triggered widespread floods and landslides across Nepal on Wednesday morning, blocking several major highways and stranding hundreds of vehicles.
Traffic movement has now resumed on key routes, though authorities warn that road safety risks persist due to unstable terrain and continued rainfall.
In Kavre district, the BP Highway was blocked at multiple points—Pingthali, Charsebesi, and Mangalatar—along the Bhakunde–Nepalthok section from around 1am on Wednesday.
According to Police Inspector Sunil Kumar Dhanzu of the District Traffic Police Office, vehicles headed to Sindhuli were stopped at Kavrevanjyang, while those bound for Kathmandu from the opposite direction were stopped at Mangalatar. The road has now been cleared and two-way traffic resumed, easing pressure on travellers and transporters alike.
In Palpa, a landslide near Siddhababa Temple in ward 3 of Tinau Rural Municipality blocked the Siddhartha Highway from early Wednesday. The mudslide, which occurred at around 2am near the Dobhan head box area, involved large boulders that made clearance challenging.
By Wednesday afternoon, the road was reopened for one-way operation, but authorities have cautioned that risks remain. According to the District Police Office in Palpa, equipment from the Siddhababa Tunnel Project and the Road Division Office was mobilised for clearance.
Despite the reopening, the section between Charchare and Gaudepul remains highly vulnerable due to previous landslides, prompting concerns from locals and road users.
In Makawanpur, the Kanti Highway connecting Hetauda and Kathmandu was obstructed by a landslide at Gangate along the Thingan–Baguwa section around 5am Wednesday.
Local residents and police used excavators to remove debris, and traffic resumed by 10am. Police Inspector Bidya Sagar Mehta of the Area Police Office in Thingan said vehicles that had been held in Thingan and Baguwa were allowed to move after the road was cleared.
In Nawalparasi East, a section of the East-West Highway near Khursanikhola caved in at around 5:30am, halting all traffic. A truck got stuck in the collapsed section. By the afternoon, the road was filled in to allow one-way traffic, according to the Deputy Superintendent of Police Bir Dutta Pant of the District Police Office in Parasi.
Vehicles are being allowed to move alternately, with traffic police deployed at the site and priority given to passenger buses. Authorities confirmed that hundreds of vehicles that had been stranded since morning resumed travel from around 12pm.
Meanwhile, in Baglung, landslides triggered by Tuesday evening’s rainfall blocked the Kaligandaki Corridor in Baglung Municipality-10. Basanta Pandey, information officer at the District Police Office, Baglung, said continued rainfall delayed clearance efforts.
Similarly, in Myagdi, the road linking Beni to Darbang and Muna remained obstructed due to multiple landslides in Malika Rural Municipality-6 and Beni Municipality-4. Rain gauge centres recorded 110 mm of rain in Darbang and 77 mm in Muna between 6am and 8am on Wednesday, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.
Authorities are continuing debris clearance across affected areas, though they warn that further rainfall may lead to additional landslides. Travellers are advised to stay updated before embarking on long journeys.
With inputs from district correspondents.