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🇳🇵 Nepal /Disasters & Emergencies

China closes Tatopani border crossing over landslide risk

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • China suspended imports and exports through the Tatopani border crossing until further notice, citing landslide risks on Nepal’s side near Liping.
  • The closure follows devastating floods that destroyed the Rasuwagadhi crossing and leaves Korala as Nepal’s only functioning overland trade route with China.
  • Traders warn that prolonged disruption could cause shortages and higher costs as the festive shopping season approaches.

China has closed Nepal’s Tatopani border crossing for trade because landslides threaten the Nepali side near Liping. The suspension took effect on Saturday and will continue until the danger is brought under control.

Since the risk of landslides is posing a threat on the Nepali side of the border in Liping, the Chinese side has closed the Tatopani border for trading purposes from Saturday.

— Laxmi NiraulaNepal’s consul general in Lhasa explained why China suspended trade at Tatopani.

The decision further disrupts Nepal-China trade after floods destroyed the Rasuwagadhi crossing in Rasuwa. The Bhotekoshi floods swept away much of the Timure border settlement, including customs, immigration and police offices. An official said rebuilding offices near the Nepal-Tibet border could take months.

Tatopani, known as Zhangmu in China, had reopened only recently after nearly three weeks of closures in August caused by landslides blocking the Araniko Highway. Its limited reopening lasted about 10 days before the crossing shut again following the Rasuwa floods.

We are planning to send some of the people stranded in Lhasa due to the recent floods along the Nepal-Tibet border through the Tatopani border point.

— Laxmi NiraulaNiraula described plans to allow stranded travelers to return through the crossing.

Nepal’s consul general in Lhasa, Laxmi Niraula, said people could still travel through Tatopani despite the trade suspension. Authorities plan to use the crossing to return people stranded in Lhasa by the recent floods. Niraula also said officials were considering moving trucks and containers stranded in Kerung through the Korala crossing in Mustang.

The only alternative we have is Korala now.

— Unnamed trade officialA trade official described the limited overland options left after the closures.

For traders, Korala is now the only overland alternative. Goods can also travel by the longer sea route through Kolkata, but the disruption comes as demand rises before the festive season. The prolonged closure is expected to affect traders and reduce customs revenue from one of Nepal’s main trade gateways with China.

It will take months to establish new offices in Timure or elsewhere near the Nepal-Tibet border.

— Unnamed officialThe official assessed the likely timeline for restoring facilities at Rasuwagadhi.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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