Key Takeaways:
- A cruise ship swept away by floods is stuck against a pillar of the Narayani Bridge in Gaindakot
- Authorities began the removal operation on Sunday evening amid concerns about bridge safety
- Three cranes have been mobilised for the recovery effort
- The 60-tonne vessel will be cut into sections before removal because it cannot be extracted intact
Preparations are under way to remove a cruise ship swept away by floods in the Narayani River and left stuck near the bridge in Gaindakot after four days of continuous rainfall.
The cruise ship, which had been moored to a tree near the riverbank, is now lodged against a pillar on the Gaindakot side of the Narayani Bridge, according to Arjun Ghimire, an engineer at the Division Road Office, Chitwan.
The removal process began on Sunday evening amid concerns that the rising river could pose a risk to the bridge. Three cranes have been brought in for the operation.
As the cruise ship weighs around 60 tonnes, it cannot be pulled out intact and will have to be cut into sections for removal, Ghimire said.
The vessel had previously been used for tourist river cruises on the Narayani. Authorities have restricted the movement of heavy vehicles across the bridge since Sunday evening after the vessel became lodged there and obstructed the flow of water, raising concerns about the bridge's safety.