Kathmandu, July 9 -- Continuous rain caused extensive flooding and landslides throughout Nepal on Wednesday morning, closing multiple major roads and leaving hundreds of vehicles stuck.
Key routes have seen traffic return, but officials caution that road safety issues remain because of unstable ground and ongoing rain.
In the Kavre district, the BP Highway was obstructed at several locations—Pingthali, Charsebesi, and Mangalatar—along the Bhakunde-Nepalthok route starting approximately at 1am on Wednesday.
As reported by Police Inspector Sunil Kumar Dhanzu from the District Traffic Police Office, vehicles traveling towards Sindhuli were halted at Kavrevanjyang, whereas those heading to Kathmandu from the other side were stopped at Mangalatar. The road is now clear, and two-way traffic has resumed, reducing the burden on both travelers and transporters.
In Palpa, a landslide close to Siddhababa Temple in ward 3 of Tinau Rural Municipality obstructed the Siddhartha Highway since early Wednesday. The mudslide, which took place approximately at 2am near the Dobhan head box area, included big rocks that complicated the clearing process.
By midday on Wednesday, the road was reopened for one-way traffic, although officials have warned that dangers still exist. As per the Palpa District Police Office, machinery from the Siddhababa Tunnel Project and the Road Division Office was deployed for the clearing process.
Although the area has reopened, the stretch between Charchare and Gaudepul is still very susceptible to issues caused by past landslides, raising worries among residents and those who use the road.
In Makawanpur, the Kanti Highway, which links Hetauda and Kathmandu, was blocked by a landslide near Gangate in the Thingan-Baguwa area around 5am on Wednesday.
Local residents and law enforcement utilized excavators to clear the wreckage, with traffic resuming by 10 a.m. Police Inspector Bidya Sagar Mehta from the Area Police Office in Thingan mentioned that vehicles that had been detained in Thingan and Baguwa were permitted to proceed once the road was cleared.
In Nawalparasi East, a part of the East-West Highway near Khursanikhola collapsed around 5:30am, stopping all vehicle movement. A truck became trapped in the affected area. By the afternoon, the road was filled to enable one-way traffic, as reported by Deputy Superintendent of Police Bir Dutta Pant from the District Police Office in Parasi.
Vehicles are being permitted to proceed one after another, with traffic officers present at the location and passenger buses given preference. Officials stated that hundreds of vehicles that had been stuck since morning started moving again around 12pm.
In the meantime, in Baglung, landslides caused by the rain on Tuesday evening have obstructed the Kaligandaki Corridor within Baglung Municipality-10. Basanta Pandey, an information officer at the District Police Office in Baglung, mentioned that ongoing rainfall has postponed the clearing operations.
In addition, in Myagdi, the road connecting Beni to Darbang and Muna was blocked because of several landslides in Malika Rural Municipality-6 and Beni Municipality-4. As per the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, rain gauge stations measured 110 mm of rainfall in Darbang and 77 mm in Muna between 6 am and 8 am on Wednesday.
Officials are still removing debris in the impacted regions, but they caution that more rain could cause further landslides. Travelers are encouraged to keep informed before starting extended trips.
Contributions from local reporters.