Preparations begin to remove Rhino Cruise stuck near Narayani Bridge

Chitwan, September 28, 2026 — Authorities have begun preparations to remove the Rhino Cruise Ship after it was swept away by the swollen Narayani River and became lodged near the Gaindakot end of the Narayani Bridge following four days of continuous rainfall.

According to Arjun Ghimire, an engineer at the Road Division Office, Chitwan, the cruise collided with a pillar of the bridge and became stuck nearby as the river continued to rise.

Authorities began preparations to remove the vessel on Sunday evening and brought in three cranes for the operation.

Ghimire said the cruise has a load capacity of about 60 tonnes and cannot be removed in one piece. It will therefore be cut into sections before being lifted and removed.

The Rhino Cruise had previously been used for tourist water tours on the Narayani River.

Authorities have warned that the vessel could obstruct the river's flow and pose additional risks to the bridge. As a precaution, heavy cargo vehicles have been barred from using the bridge since Sunday evening.