NU
Wed, 09 July 2025
Kathmandu, Nepal – Nepal is facing severe monsoon disruption. Relentless rainfall began on Tuesday night. It has unleashed widespread landslides and flash floods. This has crippled vital infrastructure and trade links. Ten significant highways are now completely blocked. Hundreds of vehicles are stranded. A frantic search operation is underway. 19 individuals are unaccounted for. They went missing after a devastating flash flood in Rasuwa. The economic repercussions are expected to be substantial. This is especially true with major festivals just two months away.
Continuous precipitation has turned key arteries into impassable stretches. In Nawalparasi East, a section of the East-West Highway gave way. This occurred near Khursanikhola around 5:30 AM on Wednesday. All traffic came to a standstill. A lorry is now trapped in the collapsed section. Similarly, the Siddhartha Highway in Palpa has been impassable. A landslide struck near the Siddhababa Temple in Tinau Rural Municipality early Wednesday morning. This has left hundreds of vehicles stranded. These vehicles connect the hills, including Syangja, Pokhara, Baglung, Gulmi, and Arghakhanchi, to the Tarai plains.
Further west, the Kaligandaki Corridor in Baglung is blocked. This has been the case since Tuesday evening. Heavy rainfall triggered landslides in Baglung Municipality-10. Persistent rain is making immediate clearance difficult. In Myagdi, landslides have cut off roads. These roads link the district headquarters, Beni, to Darbang and Muna. Significant rainfall was recorded there. 110 mm fell in Darbang, and 77 mm in Muna, between 6 AM and 8 AM on Wednesday. This compounds the challenge for rescue and clearance teams.
Towards the central region, the Kanti Lokpath is blocked. It connects Hetauda to Kathmandu. A colossal landslide occurred at Gangate on the Thingan–Baguwa section on Wednesday morning. Efforts are ongoing to clear it. Excavators, police personnel, and local residents are involved. However, traffic remains halted. Vehicles heading to Kathmandu are stopped at Thingan. Those travelling in the opposite direction are held at Baguwa. In Kavre district, multiple landslides have caused major traffic disruption on the BP Highway. These include incidents at Pingthali, Charsebesi, and Mangalatar along the Bhakunde–Nepalthok section. Vehicles going from Kathmandu to Sindhuli are held at Kavrevanjyang. Those heading towards Kathmandu from Sindhuli have been stopped at Mangalatar since 1 AM.
Police Headquarters confirm further closures. The Koshi Highway in Sankhuwasabha is out of action. So are the Mechi Highway in Panchthar and Pasang Lhamu Highway in Rasuwa. The Darbang Road in Myagdi, the Bheri Corridor in Dolpa, the Jajarkot-Dolpa-Bheri Corridor in Rukum (West), and the Jaya Prithvi Highway in Bajhang are also completely blocked.
However, some previously affected routes have reopened for single-lane traffic. These include the Banepa-Nala-Bhaktapur road, sections of the Kaligandaki Corridor in Baglung and Gulmi, and the Shahid Highway in Rolpa. Authorities are diligently working to clear debris and restore connectivity. But persistent rainfall and adverse weather conditions continue to pose significant hurdles.
The most catastrophic impact occurred in Rasuwa. A sudden and devastating flash flood happened in the Lende river on Tuesday. This river is a tributary of the Bhotekoshi, located on the Chinese side. The flood inflicted immense damage. This specifically affected crucial Nepal-China border trade infrastructure. Nepal Police are actively searching for 19 missing people. This follows the Rasuwa floods. The grim tally includes two police officers, six Chinese nationals, and eleven civilians. The body of Police Sub-Inspector Lal Bahadur Shrestha was tragically recovered in Chitwan. He was swept away. This discovery was made on Tuesday evening. It prompted an expanded search operation. The search now extends along the banks of the Trishuli and Narayani rivers. It covers Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan, and Nawalparasi. Of the nine bodies recovered so far, only five have been identified. DNA testing is required for the others.
The Nepal-China Friendship Bridge in Rasuwagadhi has been completely swept away. This severs the vital Rasuwagadhi-Kerung trading route. A dry port currently under construction in Timure has sustained extensive damage. It is estimated at 60% physical destruction. Numerous lorries, containers, and electric vehicles are submerged. The Rasuwa Customs Office yard and the electric vehicle charging station are also damaged. In total, 64 vehicles were swept away. While the dam of the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project suffered only minor damage, other hydropower projects are advised to remain on high alert. Intriguingly, the Flood Forecasting Division is investigating the cause of this sudden flash flood. It occurred without significant heavy rainfall nearby. Initial suspicions point towards a glacial lake outburst in the upper reaches of the river.
This severe disruption to the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung route is a major concern. It is a principal gateway for imports from China. These imports include readymade garments, electronic items, footwear, and EVs. The timing is critical. It comes just two months before major Nepali festivals like Dashain and Tihar. This ignites fears of billions of rupees in losses. It also suggests a sharp increase in the prices of imported goods. Many containers remain stuck on the Chinese side in Kerung. Over 50 containers originally bound for Timure have been diverted. They are now heading to the Tatopani border crossing. This is Nepal's other main trade route with China. It was already hampered by earlier landslides.
According to Phunu Sherpa, President of the Bhotekoshi Chamber of Commerce, some 40 to 45 metres of road sections are destroyed. This affects various parts of the Shigatse-Nyalam-Khasa corridor. It has brought transport to a standstill. However, the Nyalam County government is reportedly working on emergency infrastructure. They aim to reinstate operations within two days. Traders are urgently appealing to the Nepali government. They request prioritisation of a Bailey bridge construction at Rasuwagadhi. This would facilitate the clearance of stranded containers. It would also ensure festival-targeted goods can reach the markets. Concerns are also being raised about Nepal's over-reliance on Chinese imports. Indian goods have gained prominence in the Nepali market since the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, accompanied by ministers and the Chinese envoy, visited Timure, Rasuwa on Tuesday. They personally assessed the damage.
As Nepal braces for more monsoon fury, the full extent of this disaster is yet to be revealed, leaving a nation holding its breath.
