Quake-hit China-Nepal highway no longer blocked

LHASA - The Chinese side of a key highway linking Tibet and Nepal was cleared of obstructions on Friday morning, six days after an 8.1-magnitude earthquake in Nepal caused landslides that blocked the major trade and tourist route.

The last of the landslide debris was cleared at a section of the China-Nepal highway between Zham Town and Zham Pass, according to armed police sources.

The death toll in Saturday's quake has surpassed 6,000 in Nepal. In neighboring Tibet, the quake has claimed 25 lives, devastated two important border towns and blocked roads due to landslides and avalanches.

On Thursday, traffic resumed on the highway between Nyalam County and Zham Town, part of the China-Nepal highway, allowing residents to be evacuated from the town, which was threatened by aftershocks and landslides.

The China-Nepal highway is a scenic route connecting Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, and Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital. It was built in 1965.