Landslides, flooding block main highway to Nepal’s capital

KATHMANDU, Nepal – Landslides and flooding caused by heavy rainfall have blocked the main highway connecting most of Nepal to the Himalayan nation’s capital, preventing trucks from bringing in fuel and supplies, officials said Tuesday.

There were several landslides along the Prithvi Highway that either blocked the road or damaged portions of it, police official Rabindra Regmi said. Heavy equipment was being used to try to clear the debris to open up the highway.

A flooded river also damaged a bridge on the highway, and hundreds of vehicles were stranded on either side of the route.

The highway is used by both passenger vehicles and cargo trucks to transport food, supplies and fuel to the capital, Kathmandu.

Since Nepal’s monsoon season began last month, landslides, flooding and lightning have killed at least 131 people and left 48 others missing.