Washed-out bridges force flood-hit communities to rely on choppers
Summary
Floods have washed away bridges over the Trishuli River, cutting off communities in Rasuwa and Dhading and forcing evacuations by helicopter. Students, patients, drivers and residents are stranded as authorities race to restore roads and find alternative routes.
Key Points
- A Nepali Army helicopter evacuated about 40 students and teachers from Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Trishuli Bazar after the bridge over the Trishuli River was swept away.
- Flood damage has destroyed or damaged dozens of bridges and about 40 kilometres of road between Rasuwagadhi and Malekhu, with losses to roads and related infrastructure estimated at Rs20 billion.
- Rasuwa and parts of Dhading are cut off from Kathmandu, leaving patients, students, residents and about 80 Nepali truck drivers stranded in Kerung, Tibet.
- Authorities are searching for alternative routes and have sought help from India and China to install 42 Bailey bridges to restore connectivity.
