Kathmandu, September 28
Efforts are underway to remove the Rhino cruise ship that was swept away by flooding in the Narayani River and became stuck against the Narayani Bridge using three cranes.
The administration said efforts were being made to pull the cruise towards the riverbank with the help of the cranes.
The three cranes are being used to tow the cruise towards the Gaindakot side of the river.
The cruise was swept away from in front of Hotel River Crown by a powerful flood in the river on Sunday evening and carried towards the bridge. It became stuck against a pillar on the Gaindakot side of the bridge.
The three-storey cruise becoming lodged against the bridge pillar increased the risk of damage to the bridge.
The company said the Rhino cruise ship had been secured to trees using two 20-mm ropes, but the powerful floodwaters broke the ropes. It said the ropes had been secured according to international standards.
The company said the ropes broke after two trees became lodged at the site where the cruise was moored and pushed against it.
The cruise weighs more than 70 tonnes, but the company said its effective weight is much lower when it is floating in water. The cruise had been brought to a location upstream of the Narayani Bridge only one and a half years ago.
The 100-foot-long and 25-foot-wide cruise can accommodate up to 180 passengers at a time. Built with an investment of around Rs 150 million, it is Nepal’s first cruise ship.
