Nepal has ordered thousands of people living along the Budhi Gandaki River to evacuate after a landslide-triggered flash flood swept away homes, bridges and other infrastructure in the country’s central region on Sunday. Authorities said there were no immediate reports of deaths, but rescue teams remained on high alert as water levels continued to rise.
The flooding began after a dry landslide struck Chumnubri village in Gorkha district, around 100 kilometres west of Kathmandu.
The landslide blocked the Budhi Gandaki River, causing water to build up before surging downstream with mud and debris. Officials warned communities along the river to move to safer locations immediately.
Also read: Flash flood sweeps away houses, bridges in Nepal’s Gorkha
Homes, bridges and hydropower camp damaged
Officials said the flood swept away around a dozen houses and two suspension bridges.
Social media footage reveals homes and outbuildings being carried off by a swollen river rushing through steep mountain terrain. The full extent of the damage across various small mountain settlements remains unknown at this time. However, reports online suggest that government alerts successfully triggered evacuations in Arughat, a riverside community situated along the main highway linking Kathmandu to the rest of the country.
According to reports from Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), the swollen river carrying heavy sludge also destroyed a highway bridge connecting Gorkha district with neighboring Dhading district. The bridge is an important transport link in central Nepal.
The NDRRMA issued emergency alerts covering Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan, East Nawalparasi and West Nawalparasi districts.
Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, the Gorkha district’s most senior bureaucrat said, “We have asked villagers living along the river banks downstream to evacuate and remain safe.”
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said the Nepal Army rescued six people from Jagat village who faced an imminent landslide threat. Authorities also confirmed that 18 workers at the damaged hydropower camp escaped safely before floodwaters overwhelmed the site.
Also read: Nepal’s call for climate justice
Fresh disaster revives the August catastrophe
The latest flooding comes just weeks after Nepal suffered one of its deadliest natural disasters in recent history.
The Budhi Gandaki River eventually joins the Trishuli River system. Another tributary in the same basin witnessed a catastrophic glacier collapse in August, triggering devastating floods that killed at least 1,457 people. Thousands remain missing from that disaster, according to government figures.
On Monday, Balendra Shah announced that search and rescue efforts have officially concluded. Authorities are now shifting their focus toward recovery and rebuilding, specifically repairing roads and bridges washed out by the flooding that have left remote communities isolated and hindered relief efforts.
The government estimates the reconstruction will require $4.77 billion. Overall, the disaster impacted nearly 33,000 residents and damaged or destroyed approximately 7,500 homes.
