Kathmandu: A flash flood in Nepal’s Budhi Gandaki River swept away dozens of houses and bridges and damaged hydropower infrastructure in Gorkha district early on Sunday, October 11. Authorities rescued 48 people from affected areas, while at least 10 people remained missing, according to officials. No immediate reports of casualties were available.
The flood struck around 4 am, forcing residents of riverside settlements to flee to safer locations. The Gorkha district administration urged people living near the river to remain alert and evacuate vulnerable areas as rescue and search operations continued.
Nepal Army personnel and other security agencies were deployed to the affected region. Four helicopters and ground teams were mobilised, with stranded residents airlifted to safer places.
Houses and bridges swept away
Preliminary reports indicated that around three dozen houses in Chumnubri Rural Municipality were swept away. The flood affected settlements in Salleri, Paiyuka and the riverbed area near Jagat, according to local officials.
A suspension bridge connecting parts of the rural municipality was also destroyed. Nepal’s Home Minister Sudan Gurung said the bridge linking Nyakchet and Philim bazaar in Chumnubri-3 had been swept away.
The flood caused significant damage to the local market, while residents said they had little time to collect their belongings before escaping.
“The flood came early in the morning, and we could not even take out our belongings,” local ward chair Ram Kumar Gurung was quoted as saying.
At least 10 people missing
Gorkha administrative officer Chuda Nidhi Tiwari said a landslide stretching approximately one kilometre had occurred in Chumnubri. The landslide reportedly swept away five cattle sheds, with at least 10 farmers feared missing.
The district administration said the search for missing people was continuing. The exact number of affected households and the overall extent of the damage were yet to be established.
Hydropower project infrastructure damaged
Floodwaters also swept away a construction camp and equipment at the site of the 341-megawatt Budhi Gandaki hydropower project under construction in Salleri, Chumnubri-3. Officials also reported damage to two hydropower projects, although the full extent of the impact was not immediately clear.
The cause of the sudden surge in the river remained unknown. Some residents suspected that the Syar stream, a tributary of the Budhi Gandaki between Lokpa and Chumling, may have been blocked before the flood. Authorities had not confirmed this explanation.
Residents in Lokpa and Chumling said they heard loud roaring sounds from nearby streams from around 4 am. Some reported that the water flow appeared to stop and resume repeatedly. They said there had been no rainfall at the time, making the sudden flood particularly alarming.
Tourists stranded on Manaslu trekking route
Tourists travelling towards the Manaslu trekking region were also stranded after floodwaters washed away footpaths and a bridge. The Manaslu Conservation Area Project said the visitors were safe at their accommodation after becoming stranded on Saturday night.
Authorities continued using loudspeakers to warn riverside communities, while helicopters were deployed for evacuations and relief distribution.
The disaster comes around six weeks after devastating floods along Nepal’s Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers on August 26, 2026. The earlier disaster reportedly caused widespread destruction along the mountainous Nepal-China border, and the country has continued to face recovery challenges.
The full extent of the damage caused by the latest Budhi Gandaki flood remains unclear as search, rescue and assessment operations continue.
