A rockfall has damaged the Tatopani customs yard, warehouses, office buildings, staff quarters and an Armed Police Force border outpost, disrupting operations at one of Nepal’s main trading gateways with China.

Water and electricity supplies to the customs compound have been cut, while large boulders continue to fall, making the area unsafe for workers.

The latest rockfall occurred on Thursday night, when massive boulders crashed down from the hillside overlooking the customs complex. The slope has remained unstable since the devastating 2015 earthquake, which triggered recurring dry landslides in the area.

The falling rocks smashed through the roofs of customs buildings and warehouses, with some boulders crashing into storage facilities.

“The customs compound is littered with boulders, and it is no longer safe for employees to stay there,” said Buddha Raj Basnet, president of the Sindhupalchok Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Staff living in the residential quarters fled after the rockfall began during the night. Basnet said commercial goods stored in warehouses had been damaged, while freight containers and electric vehicles parked inside the customs yard were also hit.

“An assessment of the damage is under way,” he said.

According to customs officials, more than 100 imported electric vehicles remain stranded inside the yard because the road linking Tatopani to the rest of the country has been closed since July 16 by landslides, leaving no way to move them to a safer location.

Tatopani Customs Chief Dipendra Prakash Giri said small rocks had been falling for several days before the situation escalated on Thursday night.

“Staff ran for safety when the large boulders started coming down,” Giri said. “People could have been killed had this happened during working hours.”

With the customs compound now considered unsafe, employees have begun looking for temporary accommodation elsewhere, he added.

The Tatopani border crossing, one of Nepal’s principal trade routes with China, has remained shut for nearly three weeks after landslides blocked the Arniko Highway. With the road still impassable, customs clearance and the movement of goods have been suspended, and officials say there is no immediate prospect of reopening the route.

The customs yard and inland dry port, built with Chinese assistance under the supervision of Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board, had been considered a secure facility despite its mountainous setting. The site also houses an Armed Police Force border outpost, while warehouse security has been outsourced to a private contractor.

Authorities have yet to say when it will be safe for officials to return or when the damaged facilities can resume normal operations.