A sudden flash flood triggered by a landslide along the Budhi Gandaki River has destroyed dozens of homes, damaged suspension bridges, and left five people missing in central Nepal, forcing authorities to deploy emergency rescue teams and helicopters to the affected district.
The weekend disaster struck the central Nepalese district of Gorkha when a massive surge of water and debris roared down the Budhi Gandaki River. According to reports from the area, the sudden inundation was set off when an upstream landslide blocked another waterway, creating a wall of water that swept through vulnerable villages situated at the foot of the river basin.
Emergency Rescue Operations in Gorkha and Chumnubri
Emergency services rushed to the disaster zone following the flash flood. Rescuers successfully brought 49 people to safety, including one foreign national, while authorities confirmed that two women and three men remain unaccounted for. No fatalities have been officially reported so far.
The raging torrent carved a destructive path through local infrastructure. At least 30 homes and two hanging bridges were swept away by the current. A construction site for a local hydropower plant also took a direct hit, with heavy building materials washed downstream by the surging river. The Nepalese military, police forces, and specialized rescue teams mobilized immediately, utilizing helicopters to monitor the flooded terrain from above and guide downstream residents away from danger.
Early Warnings Help Residents Seek Shelter
The casualty count may have stayed low because residents recognized the danger early and sounded the alarm for one another. Certain villagers observed the river’s water level rising sharply during the early hours of Sunday according to accounts published by regional media. One local resident living in Jagatbagar recounted receiving an official warning notification on a mobile device and seeking shelter in the surrounding forest more than an hour before the peak surge arrived.
Authorities issued urgent evacuation directives for communities living along the riverbanks downstream, urging families to abandon their homes and move to higher ground before the worst of the floodwaters reached them.