A landslide struck the Narayanghat–Muglin road near Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality-5 on Friday evening, blocking the section at Tuin Khola where hills were cut for a wide bridge.

The landslide worsened on Saturday morning, leaving the road closed all day.

By Saturday evening, debris removal had not been completed, forcing the division road office in Bharatpur to halt repair operations until Sunday morning. Engineers reported that cutting hills for the Tuin Khola bridge has repeatedly caused landslides during the rainy season over the past four years.

“This landslide began four months ago and worsened after heavy rainfall on September 11. Since Friday evening, debris from Tuin Khola has blocked the road for 48 hours,” said Arjun Ghimire, engineer at Bharatpur division road office.

The Friday night landslide covered 160 metres of road, with nearly half of the hill collapsing onto the roadway.

The section of Tuin Khola bridge towards Narayanghat, built on weaker rock formations, has been particularly prone to landslides, unlike the Mu­glin side where harder rock delayed construction. Two years ago, a similar landslide blocked the road for 24 hours in July.

Plans for rock netting this year to stabilise the cut hill were delayed by the monsoon. The proposed netting, estimated at Rs80 million, would cover 160 metres in length and 70 metres in height with strong metal mesh to prevent falling rocks.

Thousands of vehicles, including passenger buses and trucks, were stranded due to the blockage. Many travellers, including Krishna Mahata and his wife Basanti, stranded at the same section described enduring long hours in traffic with limited access to food and water.

To assist stranded passengers, Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal of Chitwan, along with Nepal Police, the Nepali Army, and Armed Police Force personnel, distributed snacks and water to around 1,500-2,000 people with support from local businessman Chandan Agrawal.

Debris clearance was halted on Saturday evening due to falling rocks, with work scheduled to resume on Sunday morning using machinery from the Division Road Office and other ongoing road projects.

The Narayanghat–Muglin road, a major road connecting Kathmandu with the large parts of the country, carries over 10,000 vehicles daily. Landslides have been a recurring problem since the road’s expansion began a decade ago, causing repeated disruptions to transport and commerce.