Over 220 Passengers Rescued After Road Blockage on Mid-Hill Highway

Dhorpatan (Baglung), March 21: More than 220 passengers stranded along the Mid-Hill Highway due to a road obstruction caused by heavy snowfall have been rescued.

The incident occurred at Patihalne, located at the border of Baglung and Rukum East districts, after continuous rainfall since Friday night led to snowfall that blocked the road.

According to Assistant Chief District Officer of Rukum East, Samir Gautam, a joint team of the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police cleared the snow using a dozer and rescued the stranded passengers.

Passengers travelling in seven buses, 10 motorcycles and a jeep were affected. Authorities said snow had accumulated along a nearly three-kilometre stretch of road in the bordering area, which has now been cleared.

Gautam said security personnel were immediately deployed after receiving information about the obstruction, and all passengers have since resumed their journeys.

Meanwhile, Chief of Area Police Office, Burtibang, Tilak Manandhar, said that although snowfall was reported in parts of Baglung, it did not disrupt transport services in that section.

Authorities have urged travellers heading to districts such as Rukum, Rolpa, Jajarkot, Dolpa and Salyan from Kathmandu and Pokhara to check road conditions before travelling.