KATHMANDU, JUN 03 - Around two dozen engineers have been mobilised to assess damage caused by the recent earthquakes on around 350 bridges in the affected districts, the Department of Roads (DoR) said.

According to the DoR officials, the engineers will inspect bridges in Kathmandu Valley, Gorkha, Dhading, Dolakha, Sindhupalchok, Kavre, Nuwakot, Kaski, Baglung, Makwanpur and Rasuwa, which are within 100 kilometre radius of the epicetre of April 25 earthquake. The country has around 1,800 brides, according to government records.

The engineers, meanwhile, have inspected around 30 bridges in the Valley and found that they have suffered major structural damages. A final report of the assessment will be submitted within a few weeks.

Officials said most bridges have suffered minor damage on expansion joints, beams and slabs while some have slightly been deviated from their original position due to tremors. The DoR has been advised to repair most of such bridges so that they can withstand future seismic activities. “The damage assessment work is in progress. We have not found severe loss in structural strength of the bridges so far,” said Madhab Kumar Karki, DoR director general. Some overhead bridges in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur are reported to have sustained severe damage, but authorities claimed these structures can be operable after some repairs.

Though most bridges in the quake-hit districts were old and in dilapidated condition, none of them were destroyed during the quakes. As a result, rescue teams reached the affected areas on time.