Flash flood yet again sweeps away houses, bridges in Nepal’s Gorkha

• Flash flood sweeps away more than 35 houses and bridges in Nepal’s Gorkha district

• No casualties reported so far; helicopters deployed for rescue and evacuation

• Authorities warn riverside residents to move to higher ground as water levels rise

A debris-laden flash flood in the Budhi Gandaki River swept away more than 35 houses and bridges in Nepal’s Gorkha district on Sunday, prompting authorities to launch rescue operations and urge riverside residents to move to higher ground. No casualties had been reported so far.

The flood inundated settlements in Salleri, Paiyuka and the riverbed at Jagat, and swept away a suspension bridge connecting a ward in Chumnubri Rural Municipality-3, ward chair Ram Kumar Gurung told The Kathmandu Post.

Gorkha chief district officer Dharmendra Kumar Mishra said preliminary reports indicated that a landslide had occurred above Siuribas. The cause of the sudden surge remained unclear.

Residents suspect that the Syar stream, a tributary of the Budhi Gandaki between Lokpa and Chumling in Chumnubri-6, may have been blocked, triggering the flood.

Home Minister Sudan Gurung said the flood had also destroyed the bridge connecting Nyakchet and Philim bazaar in Chumnubri-3. Helicopters had been deployed for rescue operations, relief distribution and evacuations as the river continued to rise.

Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and local authorities were mobilised to carry out rescue and relief operations.

Chumnubri Rural Municipality deputy chair Laxmi Gurung said the flooding was reminiscent of the Bhotekoshi flood in Rasuwa district.

“The Budhigandaki flood is reminiscent of the Bhotekoshi flood,” she said, according to Online Khabar. She added that dozens of houses had been washed away, but the full extent of the damage could not yet be determined.

The Bhotekoshi flood struck Rasuwa on 26 August. According to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, flooding in the Rasuwa and Trishuli river areas claimed 1,455 lives, while 5,285 people remained missing.

Residents said they fled riverside settlements, including Chumling and Lokpa, after hearing loud roaring sounds from streams from around 4 am. Tourists staying at local hotels also evacuated.

Ram Kumar Gurung said the flood arrived early in the morning, leaving residents little time to retrieve their belongings.

Sherap Gurung, a resident of Lokpa, said the sound suggested that the water flow had repeatedly stopped and resumed. Residents could not determine whether the stream had been blocked or a landslide had occurred because it was dark. He also said it had not rained.

Authorities were using loudspeakers to warn people living along the river and direct them towards safer locations.