Sindhupalchok, May 2 -- The Tatopani border crossing with China has remained closed for four days after a section of the Kodari-Tatopani stretch of the Araniko Highway collapsed following landslides.

Traffic has come to a complete halt after the road subsided into the Bhote Koshi River, leaving dozens of freight containers stranded at Khasa.

Kumar Shrestha, ward chair of Bhote Koshi Rural Municipality-2, said continuous rainfall on Wednesday triggered debris flow from the upper hills, which eventually caused the road to collapse.

He said the damage is severe and cannot be repaired through minor intervention. "The road cannot be reopened without heavy machinery," Shrestha said. "Dozens of houses in the settlements above the road are als...