Landslides shut BP and Prithvi highways as heavy rain persists

Persistent rainfall brought down landslides at several locations on Friday, leaving a number of Nepal's main highways either shut or under restrictions and disrupting travel between Kathmandu and the rest of the country, according to The Kathmandu Post. Police said the BP Highway was cut early in the morning, at about 4:30am, when landslides came down at Charsayabensi in Roshi Rural Municipality-7 and at Gimdi in Roshi-8, both in Kavrepalanchok district. In response to the weather forecast, the authorities have also barred vehicles from the Kavrepalanchok stretch of the BP Highway between 5pm and 5am until Sunday morning. Daytime traffic may be halted too if flood and landslide conditions worsen. Chief District Officer Gopal Kumar Adhikari said a decision on extending the closure into daylight hours would follow an assessment of conditions on the ground. Chitwan has closed the Prithvi Highway and the Narayanghat-Muglin road until further notice because of landslides and the danger of more slips after continuous rain. Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal said traffic was first stopped overnight, from 8pm on Thursday to 5am on Friday, before the closure was extended as the rain went on. District authorities say more than 10,000 vehicles use the Narayanghat-Muglin road daily and more than 14,000 travel the Prithvi Highway. In neighbouring Dhading, the Prithvi Highway has been hit at seven places: Krishnabhir, Parewabhir, Jyamireghat, Jahare, Jabangkhola, Tigraang Khola and Kamerebhir. Krishnabhir and Tigraang Khola are fully blocked, and only one lane is open at the other five. Crews have started removing debris at Krishnabhir with two pieces of equipment, but ongoing rain and fresh slides are hampering the effort. The Kanti Lokpath, which links Kathmandu with Makwanpur and Hetauda, has also been affected, with landslides at three points on the Lalitpur side blocking the route, Makwanpur police chief Shyam Bahadur Khati said. Officials are urging residents near rivers and in slide-prone settlements to stay alert, and motorists have been advised to check the latest road conditions before setting out, since further rain could cause new blockages.