JUMLA: A total of 23 trucks carrying around 184 metric tonnes of apples produced in Jumla district have been stranded on the road since last Sunday after a landslide in Gaganekhola, Kalikot district blocked the Karnali Highway.

Rambhakta Adhikari, Chief of the Agriculture Development Office, Jumla, confirmed that the blockage of the Karnali Highway has caused vehicles carrying locally grown apples to get stuck nearby the site where the landslide occurred.

Those stranded vehicles are carrying apples worth Rs 130 million, according to the Agriculture Development Office, Jumla.

Efforts are underway to remove the debris to resume traffic along the highway. However, it is reported that the process to clear off debris would take time because huge rocks have fallen onto the road.

Dipendra Kumar Chaudhary, Head of the Road Division Office, Jumla, share that the Nepal Army personnel have been mobilized to break the rocks to resume the highway traffic.

Kalpana Buda, a local resident, shared that passengers have been stranded due to disruption on the highway for the past two days.