A landslide triggered by continuous rain blocked the Rapti Highway at Chorkhola in ward 3 of Kapurkot Rural Municipality on Sunday night, halting traffic movement.

With the road blocked, vehicles have been stranded along the highway. Passengers have been left stranded as even the alternative route from Kapurkot to Saat Tale is impassable. Some travellers heading to nearby destinations have been forced to walk.

Police Inspector Resham Bahadur Khatri of the District Police Office, Salyan, said the landslide occurred between 10 and 11pm. Although excavators and dozers were used to clear the debris, the road was completely blocked again after another massive slide.

Efforts to remove the debris are ongoing, Khatri said, adding that falling rocks from above continue to pose a threat. Travellers have been urged not to step out of their vehicles and to stay in safe areas.

He said it could take more time to reopen the road due to the scale of the landslide. The hills at Chorkhola became unstable during the road expansion works, and even light rain now triggers slides.

Prakash Bhandari, vice-chair of Kapurkot Rural Municipality, said the area became highly vulnerable to landslides due to heavy use of excavators during road expansion. He said despite repeated warnings from locals, authorities have shown little concern about landslide mitigation, affecting people in Salyan, Rukum, Rolpa and Dang districts.