A sudden surge of muddy floodwaters in Nepal’s Budhi Gandaki River swept away homes and three bridges on Sunday. The flood damaged a hydropower project site in Gorkha district, forcing residents to flee. “We are collecting details about the damage caused by the floods,” said official Dharmendra Kumar Mishra.
Several houses were destroyed or inundated, while more homes remained at risk.
A sudden surge of muddy floodwaters in Nepal’s Budhi Gandaki River swept away homes and three bridges, damaged a hydropower project site and forced residents and tourists to flee to safety in Gorkha district on Sunday.
No casualties had been reported as of Sunday morning, officials said, even as authorities warned communities downstream to move to safer locations amid fears of further flooding.
The flood struck Chumnubri Rural Municipality in western Nepal’s Gorkha district, near the border with China. The affected areas include Jagat and Salleri, while the camp of the 341-MW Budhi Hydroelectric Project was also swept away, according to Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, chief district officer at the District Administration Office in Gorkha.
“We are collecting details about the damage caused by the floods," Mishra said.
The flooding also swept away two suspension footbridges and a steel bridge, Nepal Police said, disrupting connections between settlements along the river. Several houses were destroyed or inundated, while more homes remained at risk.
What Triggered The Budhi Gandaki Flood?
Preliminary reports indicate that a landslide blocked the river between Lokpa and Chumling in Ward 6 of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, causing water to build up before surging downstream. Authorities are still assessing the circumstances and the full extent of the damage.
Residents reported hearing loud roaring sounds from the river early on Sunday, prompting people in riverside settlements to leave their homes. Tourists staying in local hotels also fled to safety.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) warned that the river had risen above the danger mark and urged residents and travellers along its course to move to higher ground. The warning extended downstream towards the Trishuli confluence, with authorities concerned about the risk to settlements along the river.
Laxmi Gurung, vice-chairperson of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, compared the flooding to the devastating disaster that struck Nepal’s Bhote Koshi River in August.
“The Budhi Gandaki flood is reminiscent of the Bhotekoshi flood. Dozens of houses have been swept away. It is too early to determine the exact extent of the damage," she said.
The latest incident comes weeks after the devastating August 26 floods in Nepal’s Rasuwa and Trishuli river regions. According to figures cited by the NDRRMA, that disaster claimed 1,455 lives, while 5,285 people remained missing.
Authorities are continuing to assess the damage from Sunday’s flooding and have urged people living near the Budhi Gandaki River to follow official warnings and move away from vulnerable riverbanks.