Part of the historic Dodhara-Chandani suspension bridge over the Mahakali River collapsed after floodwaters wore away the ground around its pillars. The bridge is now closed to everyone. Authorities say it cannot be crossed safely.
The bridge joins Dodhara-Chandani Municipality with Bhimdatta Municipality, also known as Mahendranagar, in Kanchanpur District of Sudurpashchim Province. It is about 1.5 kilometers (1,453 metres) long and is commonly described as Asia's second-longest suspension footbridge.
What happened
Parliament member Gyanendra Singh Mahata said a surge of floodwater hit the bridge around 11 PM on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, damaging the tower block and spur section. Nobody was hurt, he said, because the main damage came at that hour.
At around 8 AM on Wednesday, September 30, a section of the bridge fell into the river after the central pillar failed. Chief District Officer Madan Koirala said, "One span of the bridge and one of its central towers have collapsed. It is not possible to cross the bridge at present."
Deputy Superintendent of Police Tek Bahadur Rawat said that "around five to six meters of the bridge on the Dodhara side have risen, making it difficult and unsafe for vehicles and pedestrians to pass."
Cause
Heavy rain led to strong flows in the Mahakali River. A technical report on October 3 said there was severe scouring, or erosion of the riverbed, around the damaged pier. Other piers may also be at risk.
The government ordered a technical study through the Infrastructure Directorate of Sudurpashchim Province, and a provincial team has begun inspecting the site. The full damage and exact cause cannot be known until the river level drops.
Aftermath
The bridge was a main walking route between Dodhara-Chandani and Mahendranagar, the district headquarters. Mahata said, "The movement of local residents, students, employees, and daily wage earners has come to a standstill."
National Assembly member Jagat Bahadur Parki said more than 50,000 people have lost their access to the crossing. The local ward chair said travelers now have to use a concrete bridge about 2 km upstream.
Small shops around the bridge depend on customers walking past, including local residents, tourists and other travelers. Owners fear that business will drop sharply. One local resident said, "Now that the bridge is damaged, we are facing problems from today, and it needs to be repaired quickly."
The bridge is also a major tourist draw, and the damage came just before the Dashain and Tihar festival season. Mahata said that "the tourism business and local economy of the border area of Dodhara Chandani have suffered a major blow."
