Flash floods have swept through Nepal’s central Gorkha district following a pre-dawn landslide on 11 October that blocked the Budhi Gandaki River, triggering severe downstream flooding. At least five people have died, and almost 100 have been rescued from the affected areas.
Impact on Communities
Two villages in the worst-affected Chumanubri rural municipality were reportedly destroyed, with homes, roads, and bridges washed away. Additionally, part of a hydropower station sustained damage. The national disaster risk reduction and management authority reported that river levels surged from 2 metres to nearly 8.5 metres within hours, resulting in 204 homes being damaged and more than 650 people affected.
More than 100 foreign trekkers were stranded in the popular hiking region due to the flooding. This disaster comes just two months after catastrophic flooding and landslides devastated parts of the country along the border with Tibet, leaving thousands dead or missing.
