Flooding in the Bhotekoshi River has washed away the 42-kilometre road linking Betrawati in Nuwakot with the Rasuwagadhi border crossing in Rasuwa, according to the Department of Roads.

Shubharaj Neupane, deputy director general and spokesperson for the department, said floodwaters had destroyed the road at multiple points and washed away several concrete bridges.

“We have been informed that the entire 42-kilometre stretch from Betrawati to the Rasuwagadhi border has been damaged by the floods,” Neupane said. “Several concrete bridges along the road have also been washed away. We are still assessing the full extent of the damage.”

Details of damage along a further 16-kilometre stretch from Syaphrubesi towards the border are still awaited, he said.

The road runs along the Bhotekoshi River and has been repeatedly damaged by flooding. Last year, floods washed away sections at several points. Flooding in the Lhende River, which flows through the Nepal-China border area, also destroyed the Miteri Bridge.

After last year’s damage, work began to upgrade the 16-kilometre section from Syaphrubesi towards the border to a two-lane road with a grant from the Chinese government. The latest floods have now swept away that section as well, the Department of Roads said.

The department has also lost contact with supervisors stationed along the road between Syaphrubesi and the border, Neupane said.

A massive flood entered Rasuwa from the Tibet side at around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, causing extensive damage in Timure, Syaphrubesi and Rasuwagadhi. Several people remain missing, and police said search and rescue operations are continuing.