Traffic halts as fire damages Karnali Bridge

KATHMANDU: Following a fire incident on a truck at the Chisapani Bridge connecting Kailali and Bardiya to Karnali, traffic movement has been suspended.

The blaze caused damage to several sections of the bridge’s structure, rendering it unsafe for vehicular movement.

The incident occurred on Monday afternoon when a truck with registration number Ba 5 Pa 5297, traveling from Birgunj to Kanchanpur, caught fire at the Chisapani Bridge.

Approximately 14 sections of the bridge were damaged due to the fire, as informed by Inspector Hariram Dangi of the local police office in Chisapani.

The truck sustained extensive damage from the fire, resulting in the complete destruction of its cargo. Fortunately, the driver and passengers were successfully rescued.

The fire was brought under control with the assistance of fire brigades, security personnel, and locals, after about one and a half hours.

According to DSP Kuldeep Chand, spokesperson for the Kailali Police, the plastic cargo of the truck caught fire, and due to its location on the bridge, traffic movement was halted to prevent further accidents.

The diversion of traffic has been arranged via a temporary route through the Tikapur-Kothiyaghat section of the Postal-Highway.

A technical team from the Department of Roads is scheduled to visit the site on Tuesday to assess the damage to the bridge.

Sushil Babu Dhakal, Director-General of the department, stated that the load-bearing capacity of the bridge might have been compromised due to the fire

Further decisions will be made after a detailed inspection by the technical team.

“The fire may have weakened the structure, and some sections of the bridge’s deck might have melted due to the heat. It is possible that the load-bearing capacity of the bridge has been reduced,” Dhakal explained.