Tibet-Nepal highway cleared of debris after quake

The Chinese side of a key highway linking Tibet and Nepal was cleared of obstructions on Friday morning, six days after a 7.9-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, Xinhua news agency reported citing police sources.

The toll in Saturday's quake has surpassed 6,000 in Nepal. In neighbouring 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 in TIbet, which are 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 in Tibet and Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It was built in 1965.