A sudden landslide in central Nepal has triggered devastating flash floods, washing away homes and leaving at least five people missing. The disaster occurred over the weekend in Gorkha district, roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of the capital city, Kathmandu.
On Saturday, a massive slide of earth blocked the flow of the Budhi Gandaki River in Chumnubri village. When the temporary blockade burst, a violent torrent of water rushed downstream, obliterating almost everything in its path. Authorities are currently searching for three men and two women who disappeared in the initial deluge. While the search continues, official agencies have not yet confirmed any casualties.
A Race Against Time
Emergency responders have been working around the clock to locate survivors. Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) reported that rescue teams have successfully pulled 82 people to safety. Among those rescued were nine foreign nationals who were caught in the flood zone.
Military and police personnel are leading the search operations on the ground. They are also using helicopters to survey the rugged, mountainous terrain and monitor the river’s behavior from above. However, the destruction of local infrastructure is making it incredibly difficult for rescue teams to move quickly.
A major highway bridge that serves as a vital link between Gorkha and the neighboring Dhading district was completely wiped out by the muddy torrent, according to NDRRMA Chief Executive Dharam Raj Uprety. The rushing waters also swallowed two crucial suspension bridges and about a dozen homes, leaving entire pockets of the region isolated.
A Recurring Nightmare for Villagers
The sudden surge of water sent shockwaves through local communities still recovering from previous natural disasters. Laxmi Gurung, a local official in the Chumnubri rural municipality, described the sheer terror of watching the water rise so rapidly.
“The flood looked similar… It was very scary, and it still feels like a nightmare for us,” Gurung said. While their home was destroyed and the power grid was knocked out, Gurung expressed relief that no lives in the immediate vicinity were lost during the initial surge.
Further downstream, a construction camp for a local hydroelectric project took a direct hit. The floodwaters swept away expensive construction gear and heavily damaged the camp itself, halting work on the project indefinitely.
Widespread Evacuation Warnings
With the threat of further flooding remaining high, local administrators are taking no chances. Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, Gorkha’s most senior bureaucrat, confirmed that officials have ordered residents in low-lying areas to move immediately. “We have asked villagers living along the riverbanks downstream to evacuate and remain safe,” Mishra stated.
The NDRRMA also took to social media to urge communities in Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan, East Nawalparasi, and West Nawalparasi districts to remain highly vigilant. The agency appealed to locals to assist in moving vulnerable neighbors to higher ground and to support ongoing search and rescue efforts wherever possible.
An Unforgiving Season
The Budhi Gandaki River is a major tributary of the Trishuli River. This region has faced a brutal sequence of environmental disasters in recent months. Just this past August, a massive glacier collapse on another tributary triggered a catastrophic flood that claimed 1,457 lives. Thousands of people from that disaster remain unaccounted for.
More recently, heavy rains in late September caused widespread flooding and landslides across Nepal, killing at least 21 people. As the climate grows more volatile, Himalayan communities find themselves on the front lines of an increasingly dangerous environment, where a single landslide can reshape an entire valley in minutes.