JUMLA: Two major highways have been blocked due to landslides triggered by continuous rainfall.
A landslide at Gaganekhola in Shubhakalika Rural Municipality-1 of Kalikot district has obstructed the Karnali Highway, while another at Tuinkhola in Ichchakamana Rural Municipality-5 of Chitwan has blocked the Narayangadh-Muglin road section.
Gaganekhola, known as one of the most landslide-prone areas along the Karnali Highway, has been blocked several times in the past. The latest landslide has completely cut off access, said Dipendra Kumar Chaudhary, Chief of the Jumla Road Division Office, adding that clearing the debris will take time.
Meanwhile, Police Inspector Pratik Singh from the Muglin Area Police Office reported that a landslide occurred at 8:50 PM on Tuesday along the Tuinkhola section of the Narayangadh-Muglin road. Although the road was briefly opened to allow some vehicles to pass, it was blocked again due to another landslide.
Efforts are currently underway to clear the debris using excavators, with additional machinery being mobilized. Inspector Singh estimated that it would take at least two more hours to fully reopen the road.
Additionally, a landslide at Ghopte Bhir on the Prithvi Highway has made the road single-lane. However, the landslide at the Namsi River section of the Narayangadh-Muglin road has been cleared, and traffic has resumed in both directions.
Rain continues to fall in the affected areas. Many vehicles have been halted, and passengers remain stranded as authorities work to reopen the roads.
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