Heavy rainfall causes highway infrastructure collapses in Nepal and India

Heavy rainfall has caused significant infrastructure damage to highways in Nepal and India.

In Nepal, a gabion wall supporting the old section of the Prithvi Highway at Krishnabhir collapsed due to persistent rain. This collapse has placed a newly constructed road track at risk. While the Department of Roads reports no immediate visible issues with the slope above the current operational road, local officials have warned of extreme danger and advised against traveling along the route. The area had previously suffered damage from floods in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers in late August.

In India, the retaining safety barrier of the Kalinga Ghat stretch of National Highway-157 in the Kandhamal district collapsed following three days of continuous heavy rain. The collapse occurred in an area where a guard wall was being constructed to mitigate recurring landslides. The Kandhamal administration has prohibited all vehicular movement through the ghat and ordered the evacuation of laborers from the vulnerable stretch to prevent casualties from potential slope failures.