The Prithvi Highway was blocked on Wednesday after a section of the road collapsed at Pataleban, about 700 metres beyond the Nagdhunga checkpoint, authorities said.

The damaged section, about three metres wide, has sunk, according to the Department of Roads.

Rajiv Manandhar, an engineer working on the Nagdhunga-Malekhu road section, said traffic had been halted as a precaution.

“Small vehicles are being diverted through the Nagdhunga tunnel for now,” Manandhar said.

Workers were filling the collapsed section with gravel, he said.

Although the damage was limited to one section and vehicles could technically have been allowed to pass in a single lane, authorities decided to close the road to prevent further deterioration, Manandhar said.