Snow-blocked Simkot-Hilsa road reopens, movement through Hilsa checkpoint resumes

The Simkot-Hilsa road under the Karnali Corridor in Humla, which had been blocked by snowfall, has resumed operation. Transport on the Yari-Hilsa section resumed after snow piled up in the Nara Lek area of Namkha Rural Municipality-5 was cleared.

According to road division chief Bel Bahadur Nepali, snowfall occurred three times, leaving four to five meters of snow in some places, which made reopening the road a challenge. He said the snow was cleared by mobilizing equipment and manpower.

About 10 kilometers of road in the Nara area had heavy snow accumulation, and only one JCB excavator was available to clear it. According to Deputy Superintendent of Armed Police Nanda Bahadur Raud of Armed Police Force Battalion 44, the snow-clearing work took about 14 days to complete.

While the road was closed, about 90 people wanting to return home for Dashain were stranded in Hilsa, and nearly 1,200 were stuck in Taklakot, China. The Simkot-Hilsa road is about 95 kilometers long. With the road now open, it has become easier for locals, tourists and Nepalis in China's Purang area to travel via the Hilsa checkpoint.