February 2: The Mid-Hill Highway in Rukum East has been blocked due to snowfall. Vehicles are stranded at the Lukum-Patihalna road section of the Mi-Hill Highway in Rukum East due to the snowfall that started on Wednesday night and lasted throughout Thursday.

About 19 kilometers of the road in the Lukum-Patihalna area of the the Mid-Hil highway is covered with thick snow. The road could not be opened as snowfall occurred all day on Thursday.

Madhav Prasad Sharma, Chief District Officer of Rukum East, informed RSS that preparations are being made to remove the frozen snow on the roads since today morning (Friday). After the road was blocked, vehicles coming from Kathmandu have been stranded at Patihalna since Thursday. The stranded passengers were rescued and brought to Rukumkot by the police and the district administration on government vehicles.

Another road section from Rikalek to Hukam on the border of Bhume Rural Municipality and Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality has also been blocked. The snowfall has affected normal life of Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality. Phone service is also suspended in this area.

Meanwhile, farmers of Jumla have expressed happiness after late snowfall this year.

Snowfall took place late this year compared to the previous years. About half a foot of snow has accumulated across the district, including the headquarters Khalanga.

It is the first snowfall of this year's winter season.

Parvati Budha, a local resident of Tila Rural Municipality-1 in the district, shared that the farmers who planted winter crops were happy after the snowfall.

According to the Agricultural Development Office, the farmers who planted barley and wheat crops have been greatly relieved by the snowfall.

Meanwhile, the snowfall in Jumla and Upper Karnali has disrupted air services in the region. -- RSS