An estimated 35 to 40 houses were swept away by a flash flood in Nepal’s central Gorkha district on Sunday, as rising waters from the Budhi Gandaki River caused widespread destruction and prompted emergency rescue and evacuation operations.
The flash flood struck early Sunday, affecting the Chumnubri and Dharche rural municipalities and sweeping away houses, bridges and infrastructure at a hydropower project. Several settlements were inundated, while additional homes remained at risk as river levels continued to rise.
According to local newspaper The Kathmandu Post, the disaster damaged critical infrastructure and disrupted connectivity in affected communities.
Nepal’s Home Minister, Sudan Gurung, said the flood had also swept away the bridge connecting Nyakchet and Philim Bazaar in Chumnubri-3, further complicating movement in the affected area.
In response to the emergency, helicopters were deployed to support rescue operations, distribute relief supplies and evacuate residents from vulnerable locations.
Personnel from the Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and local authorities were also mobilised to conduct search-and-rescue missions and provide assistance to affected communities.
Gorkha Chief District Officer Dharmendra Kumar Mishra said preliminary reports indicated that a landslide had occurred above Siuribas, although the full circumstances surrounding the disaster were still being investigated.
Mishra added that no casualties had been reported as of Sunday.
Authorities were using loudspeakers to alert residents living along the riverbanks to the danger and urge them to move to safer locations amid fears of further flooding.
Officials are continuing to assess the extent of the damage, while rescue and relief efforts remain focused on reaching affected communities, evacuating residents from high-risk areas and preventing further loss of life.
The cause of the flash flood and the full scale of the destruction remain under investigation.
