Flash flood from landslide burst swamps Nepal's Budhi Gandaki, five missing

Flash flood from landslide burst swamps Nepal's Budhi Gandaki, five missing

A sudden flash flood on the Budhi Gandaki River in north-central Nepal swept away dozens of homes on Sunday, October 11, leaving at least five people missing, destroying bridges and damaging a hydropower construction site. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority ordered evacuations along the river and warned the water could keep rising.

Landslide dammed the river, then the dam burst

The disaster began with a landslide: Nepal's army and police say earth and debris blocked the Budhi Gandaki near Chumnubri Rural Municipality in Gorkha district, about 100 km west of Kathmandu, forming a natural dam. The barrier held briefly, then gave way, unleashing a wall of water, mud and debris on downstream settlements within hours. A government meteorologist said one hydrological station recorded the river rising from about two metres to nearly 8.5 metres in a matter of hours — before the station itself was washed away, cutting off real-time data just as the flood peaked.

Five unaccounted for as army helicopters join rescue

The Nepal Army dispatched helicopters and ground troops, rescuing 49 people by Sunday afternoon, including one foreigner whose nationality was not disclosed, the army said. Armed Police Force spokesperson Netra Bahadur Karki told media that all five missing people were reported from Gorkha district and that reporting was still being collected. Reuters, citing the national disaster authority, identified the missing as two women and three men.

Dozens of houses and bridges lost, hydro camp hit

Damage figures are still being tallied: the Associated Press, citing the disaster authority, reported about three dozen houses swept away, while another wire report put the number at 65 across Gorkha and Dhading districts. At least four bridges — two motorable and two suspension — were destroyed, with some reports putting the bridge toll at six, including a highway bridge linking Gorkha and Dhading. The market town of Salleri and villages including Jagat, Bagar and Dovan were among the hardest hit; power and communication towers along the river corridor were damaged, and riverside towns such as Arughat on the Kathmandu highway evacuated after the government warning.

Comes weeks after floods that killed 1,400

The flood lands on a country still recovering: in late August, catastrophic floods and landslides along the Nepal-China border — the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli systems — killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands missing. The Budhi Gandaki feeds into the Trishuli. Save the Children said it was deploying an emergency team and warned many children would likely be in shock at facing displacement again just as the Dashain festival was beginning.

Authorities urged residents downstream to evacuate and stay on alert, with warnings covering Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan and the East and West Nawalparasi districts; India's West Champaran district in Bihar, across the border, was also placed on alert. The disaster authority said the muddy river was still rising and told settlements to remain vigilant into Sunday evening.