SATV, Kathmandu, Sept.28- Authorities have begun efforts to remove the Rhino Cruise Ship after it was swept away by the swollen Narayani River and became lodged near the Gaindakot side of the Narayani Bridge following four days of continuous rainfall.

According to Arjun Ghimire, an engineer at the Road Division Office in Chitwan, the cruise ship collided with one of the bridge pillars before becoming stuck near the bridge.

With the river continuing to rise, authorities launched a removal operation on Sunday evening, deploying three cranes at the site.

Ghimire said the vessel has a load capacity of around 60 tonnes, making it impractical to remove it in a single piece.

Authorities will therefore cut the cruise ship into sections before lifting and removing it from the area.

The cruise ship had previously been operated for tourist sightseeing trips along the Narayani River.

Authorities have warned that the stranded vessel could obstruct the river’s flow and pose additional risks to the bridge.

As a precautionary measure, the administration has prohibited heavy cargo vehicles from crossing the bridge since Sunday evening.