Nepal flash floods leave five missing, destroy bridges and strand trekkers in Gorkha

New Delhi: Flash floods swept through Nepal’s Gorkha district on Sunday, leaving five people missing and damaging dozens of houses, bridges and hydropower infrastructure. Rescue teams evacuated residents from vulnerable areas as authorities warned communities along the riverbanks to move to safer ground.

The flooding affected settlements in Chumnubri and Dharche rural municipalities along the Budhi Gandaki river in northern Gorkha. According to Nepal’s national disaster risk reduction and management authority (NDRRMA), one person have died, five is missing and seven have been injured in these incidents.

The NDRRMA spokeswoman, Shanti Mahat, said the flood washed away houses, bridges, electric poles and telephone towers at several locations, according to Radio Nepal. An estimated 35 to 40 houses were swept away in Jagat Bagar, Salleri and Ghattikhola, according to Chumnubri Rural municipality administrative chief, Narayan Prasad Sapkota, as reported by the Kathmandu Post.

Preliminary figures released by the disaster authority on Sunday evening showed that 45 houses had been completely destroyed and 27 partially damaged. The flooding also damaged four bridges and three hydropower projects, although officials warned that the full extent of the destruction was still being assessed.

Landslide triggered flood?

Authorities suspect that a landslide sent debris into the Ungilung stream, blocking the Syarkhola before the accumulated water broke through and surged downstream into the Budhi Gandaki river. The precise cause and sequence of events remain under investigation.

According to the Kathmandu Post, residents began fleeing their homes early Sunday after hearing loud rumbling from the streams. Some moved to higher ground after receiving warnings from people living upstream, while emergency teams were deployed to assess the damage and assist affected communities.

Rescue operations and evacuation

The Nepali Army deployed four helicopters to support rescue operations in the remote mountainous region. According to the army, 95 people were moved to safer locations, while the NDRRMA said security personnel from the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force had been mobilized across the affected areas.

Authorities also issued warnings to communities along the river downstream, including in Gorkha, Dhading, Tanahun, Chitwan and the eastern and western Nawalparasi districts. Residents were urged to leave vulnerable riverbank settlements and remain alert to further flooding.

The flood washed away bridges connecting several settlements, including routes linking Gorkha with neighbouring Dhading district. Damage to roads and trekking trails has disrupted movement across northern Gorkha, making it difficult to transport supplies and reach isolated communities.

Three hydropower projects also suffered damage. At the 341-megawatt Budhi Gandaki semi-reservoir project under construction in Salleri, floodwaters swept away part of the construction camp and equipment. Other affected projects reported damage to their camps and access routes.

Trekkers stranded in Manaslu region

The destruction of bridges and trails also stranded tourists visiting the Manaslu and Tsum Valley trekking areas. The Manaslu Conservation Area Project said visitors remained at their overnight locations and were safe, but damaged routes prevented them from continuing their journeys.

The flooding comes weeks after catastrophic flooding in Nepal in August, which killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands missing. The latest disaster has renewed concerns about the risks facing Himalayan communities situated along rivers that can be blocked by landslides and suddenly release large volumes of water and debris.

Rescue teams and local authorities are continuing to search for the missing people, assess infrastructure damage and arrange assistance for settlements cut off by the flooding.