The China-Nepal Highway, which was disrupted by a massive landslide last Friday, was partially re-opened to traffic late on Monday.

Lu Quanfeng, a leading officer with the armed police responsible for repairing the highway, said the new passage was a temporary shortcut dug through the landslide. Thus, only vehicles carrying fuel or other daily necessities are being allowed through. Large vehicles and pedestrians are still banned.

"It is the rainy season, the mountains are not stable. The temporary passage is vulnerable to collapse at any time," said Lu. "We have put the road under 24-hour watch so we know before the next landslide strikes."

Zhamdui, with the Tibet Autonomous Regional Bureau of Communications who serves as the on-site commander-in-chief, said a thorough repair of the damaged part of the highway would have to wait until the rainy season ends and the mountain stabilizes.

"The entire repair work will last till October," said Zhamdui.

The 827-km China-Nepal Highway, linking Lhasa and the Friendship Bridge at the border, is a key commercial link between China and countries to the south. The Zham Port, the largest in Tibet and on the Sino-Nepal border, handles more than 70 percent of the region's trade.

The landslide, whose volume was estimated at 300,000 cubic meters, occurred early last Friday on the mountainous road about 2 km from Zham and totally destroyed that section of the highway.

It was the largest such danger since the highway opened in 1965, according to the regional transport department.

The landslide, triggered by heavy rain, initially stranded more than 1,000 people. These people and the vehicles they were traveling in have since been dispersed.

Experts said the geological structure along the highway on the southern face of the Himalayas is fragile and prone to landslides during the rainy season, which runs from May to September in the region.

Traffic and police authorities in Tibet Autonomous Region have sent more than 200 workers and armed police to repair the road.

(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2008)