A footbridge over the Simbuwa River, on the trail to the Kanchenjunga South Base Camp, has been washed away by a flood, cutting off access to the popular trekking route.

According to Krishna Gurung, the chair of ward 8 of Sirijangha Rural Municipality, the bridge at Torongdin over the river was swept away by the flood on Saturday night. He said the bridge had been constructed by the then Remote Area Development Committee under the District Development Committee before the country adopted federalism in 2015.

With the bridge washed away, access to the Kanchenjunga South Base Camp has been completely cut off. The trekking route from Yamphudin passes through Naya Jhoreni, Jhande Danda, Dundu Danda, and Torongdin to reach the base camp.

The route is preferred by both domestic and international trekkers, especially from September to December.

“You can only cross once the water level in the river drops, but that’s not likely during the monsoon,” Gurung said. “The swollen monsoon river is currently impassable.”

While people in the southern part of the country have faced water shortages, floods in the Himalayan region have increased.

“You never know when it’ll rain in the mountains,” Gurung said. “The rivers rise suddenly, and by the time you realise it, it’s already flooded.”