Kalikot, November 28, 2025
A road construction worker has been buried following a dry landslide in the Ghatachaur area of Pachaljharna Rural Municipality-6 in Kalikot district, highlighting persistent safety risks facing workers along the Karnali Corridor.
The victim has been identified as Prithvi Bohora, a resident of Pachaljharna Rural Municipality-7, who was employed in the road construction works along the Surkhet-Humla section of the Karnali Corridor. The road section is currently being constructed by the Nepal Army.
According to the District Police Office, Kalikot, the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in the Ghatachaur area along the banks of the Karnali River. Bohora was buried when a dry landslide suddenly fell from above while he was carrying oil from the workers’ temporary shelter to the construction site.
Immediately after the incident, local police from Thirpu, personnel of the Nepal Army, and local residents initiated rescue efforts. However, rescue operations were halted as continuous falling debris and unstable terrain made it unsafe to proceed. Locals reported that the landslide had not stopped, preventing effective rescue operations.
The incident occurred in a highly fragile and rocky stretch of the Karnali Corridor. Under the project, the Nepal Army is assigned to cut through an 11.05-kilometer rocky section extending from Ghatachaur in Palanta Rural Municipality, Kalikot, to Bhukkakhola in Bajura district. Of this stretch, 6.485 kilometers of track opening has already been completed.
The Karnali Corridor is regarded as a lifeline project for remote districts such as Kalikot, Bajura, and Humla. However, repeated landslide risks-particularly in steep, dry, and unstable geological zones-continue to pose serious threats to both workers and local communities, raising concerns about safety measures during road construction in fragile mountain environments.
