A debris-laden flash flood tore through Nepal’s Gorkha district on Sunday, sweeping away dozens of houses and bridges along the Budhi Gandaki River and forcing riverside communities to flee to higher ground in the early hours of the morning.
Authorities said more than 35 houses were washed away in several locations in northern Gorkha, including settlements at Salleri, Paiyuka and the riverbed at Jagat, along with a suspension bridge linking local wards. According to reports from the disaster, the Nepal Army believes a landslide in Chumanubri Rural Municipality temporarily dammed the river before the blockage burst, unleashing a surge of water, mud and debris. Preliminary reports put the number of destroyed homes higher and noted that the exact cause of the sudden rise remains unclear.
Rescue under way as reports differ on missing
The flood struck at around 4am, prompting locals to run for safety as the swollen river undercut banks and carried off buildings and equipment, including part of a hydropower project. The Nepal Army said 36 people had been airlifted to safer locations, while security forces continued search and rescue operations along the river corridor.
On casualties, the picture remains incomplete. The district’s chief administrator said early on that no casualties had been reported so far. Later, however, an Armed Police Force spokesperson said five people from Gorkha had been reported missing and that the collection of reports was continuing. It is not yet possible to say how many remote hamlets were affected, and officials have urged people living along the stream to stay alert.
A region battered by a cruel monsoon season
The disaster arrives just weeks after catastrophic flooding and landslides struck Nepal in late August, triggering widespread destruction across several districts — a grim reminder, as last week’s powerful earthquake in Panama showed, of how quickly nature can overwhelm remote communities. Humanitarian agencies have begun mobilising shelter, food and medical help, with one children’s charity warning that many children are likely to be in shock as displacement begins just as the Dashain festival gets under way. Authorities have also warned downstream districts to remain on alert.
