Cruise Ship Breaks From Moorings & Collides With Nepal’s Narayani Bridge

After days of continuous rainfall, floods in the Narayani River swept away a tourist cruise ship on Sunday. Fortunately, no injuries or casualties were reported, and the cruise was tied to the riverbank when the moorings broke.

The vessel then crashed into a pillar of the Narayani Bridge, which forced the authorities to stop traffic along the vital transit corridor. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday when the Rhino Cruise, which was anchored 100 m upstream, broke loose due to floodwaters.

The unmanned vessel came downstream with the current and then struck the bridge pillar on the Gaindakot side. It posed a threat to the structure as water levels continued to rise, prompting the closure of all traffic on the bridge and causing great inconvenience to the residents.

The bridge connects Bhratpur in Chitwan with Gaindakot in Nawalpur, making it a vital part of the East-West Highway. Many vehicles, including freight trucks, are waiting in queues along the route for the water to recede and the ship to be removed to cross to the other side.

The Superintendent of Police Rameshwar Poudel said that the river’s current is strong, which has complicated the efforts to evaluate the structure. He added that traffic would remain suspended until teams can figure out and ensure the bridge’s stability and safely clear the hazard.

The water rise in the Narayani River was due to incessant rains, which have flooded nearby villages and forced people to evacuate their homes. Authorities and emergency response teams are on standby to assist in removing the ship once water levels recede.

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