In brief
Fresh summer rains triggered a flood along the Budhi Gandaki River in Nepal’s central Gorkha district, leaving more than 200 homes damaged and 650 people impacted. Rescue teams recovered 95 individuals, including foreign residents, while five remain missing; no deaths have been recorded yet. The flood wrecked suspension bridges and part of a hydropower construction site, highlighting the region’s vulnerability to climate‑driven events. It follows August’s glacier‑melt‑induced disaster that claimed over 1,400 lives. Experts warn that melting glaciers and altered rainfall patterns are raising flood risk across the Himalayas.
Fresh summer rains triggered a flood along the Budhi Gandaki River in Nepal’s central Gorkha district, sending waves that swept away more than 200 homes, several suspension bridges and part of a hydropower construction site.
Authorities say rescue teams recovered 95 people, including nine foreigners, from the riverbank. The army confirmed the operation but also reported five missing persons. No deaths have been recorded so far, a relief given the scale of the damage.
The flood struck as residents prepared to celebrate the Dashain festival, Nepal’s most important annual holiday. Many families had to flee to higher ground and are now uncertain when they can safely return.
Local administrator Ganesh Karki described the water surge as unexpected, lasting about 15 minutes before ebbing, and worries that the water could rise again during the night.
Army helicopters were dispatched to conduct search and rescue missions in villages cut off from roads by the rising torrent. The river’s water level locally rose from two metres to almost nine metres within a few hours.
The damage extended to a hydropower project where construction equipment was displaced by the sudden surge. The site’s hydrological monitoring station was destroyed, cutting off real‑time data feeds.
Experts point out that the flood was less severe than the November‑August disaster caused by a glacier collapse on Lantang Lirung, yet it remains a stark reminder of the region’s vulnerability.
Save the Children has mobilised an emergency team to help children affected by the sudden displacement, stressing that many are still reeling from earlier August floods.
The Budhi Gandaki is a tributary of the Trishuli River, which earlier this year experienced a deadly glacier melt‑related flood that killed more than 1,400 people in border districts.
Climate scientists warn that accelerated glacier melt and changing rainfall patterns increase the likelihood of flash floods in the Himalayas, calling for stronger disaster‑risk reduction measures.
