Kathmandu, Oct. 10 -- Severe damage to major highways has thrown festive travel plans into turmoil on the eve of Dashain, forcing aviation authorities to run late-night domestic flights while ground transport networks struggle to cope with the surge of departing passengers.

With over one million travelers expected to leave the Kathmandu Valley by road and another 30,000 to 35,000 by air, transport operators and security agencies are scrambling to manage the annual mass exodus.

The situation turned critical on Friday evening when traffic came to a halt after nearly 100 metres of the road developed cracks and a 20-metre section collapsed at Galaundi along the Prithvi Highway, a lifeline to link Kathmandu with other parts of the country. I...