Bridges Washed Away, Residents Cross Raging Torrents on Steel Cables

After dozens of bridges were washed away by massive floods in Nepal, authorities have set up temporary ziplines, leaving residents to cross rivers relying on a single steel cable.

According to AFP and AP news agencies on the 3rd (local time), the Nepali military recently installed a temporary zipline approximately 250 meters long across the Trishuli River in the heavily affected Bidur area of Nuwakot to help residents cross the river.

This comes after the massive floods—dubbed a "Himalayan tsunami" for their immense destructive power that even smashed concrete bridges—swept away dozens of bridges along the Trishuli River and other areas.

According to a report by Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 41 vehicular bridges were washed away by the floods, while 4 others were damaged.

The zipline consists of a cage-like rescue basket that barely fits about two people, suspended from a single steel cable.

Although they had to perilously cross over the rushing torrents of the Trishuli River, where water levels remain significantly swollen due to the floods, residents with urgent needs stood in line and waited for their turn.

When the basket stopped in the middle of the river, people on the opposite bank would pull a rope connected to the basket to get it moving again.

Bishma Bhatta, 40, said his mother suffered from severe breathing difficulties overnight and the oxygen supply for her had run out, leaving no time to wait for other transportation such as boats or helicopters.

Bhatta, who eventually crossed the river with his mother, told AFP, "I somehow managed to put my mother in the zipline and take her to the hospital."

Devi Majhi, a 31-year-old daily wage worker who was waiting for the zipline while holding her three-year-old son, said, "I want to return to my hometown village to see my husband and my other two children."

The military plans to temporarily install a total of five ziplines along the Trishuli River, starting with Bidur.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.