Nepal flood devastates Gorkha village as river surges, sweeping away homes and bridges

A flash flood in Nepal's Gorkha district on Sunday swept away more than 35 houses and bridges and damaged a hydropower project, prompting the deployment of the Nepal Army for search and rescue operations. No casualties had been reported at the time of the initial assessment.

The flood struck Chumnubri village after the water level in the Budhi Gandaki River, a tributary of the Trishuli River, rose sharply. The incident comes less than two months after devastating flash floods in the Himalayan country killed at least 1,453 people and left more than 5,000 missing, according to the figures cited in earlier reports.

Videos circulating on social media showed the river turning black and grey as thick mud and debris surged downstream.

River rises sharply above danger mark

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) reported that the water level rose from 3.66 metres at 6.30 am to 8.43 metres by 8.40 am, far exceeding the danger mark of five metres.

The agency said the river level increased by more than two metres in the 10 minutes between 8.30 am and 8.40 am.

In a statement issued at 11.50 am, the NDRRMA said further information could not be obtained because the flood had washed away the measurement centre, including the bridge.

The agency also said the flooding was not caused by rainfall. Preliminary information and satellite-image observations suggested that the river may have been temporarily blocked before the obstruction gave way, triggering a sudden surge of water. A detailed technical investigation into the cause was under way.

Authorities urged residents living in coastal and lower-lying areas along the river to move to safety and stay away from riverbanks and vulnerable settlements until Sunday evening.

Nepal Army launches rescue operations

The Nepal Army deployed personnel by air and land to search for people and assist those affected by the flood.

According to an army statement, teams carried out aerial reconnaissance and ground assessments of the affected areas. Six people were airlifted to safety from Jagat, an area considered vulnerable to landslides.

A Composite Quick Reaction Team stationed in Kathmandu was also flown to the affected area to support the response.

Fresh disaster follows deadly August floods

The latest incident comes as Nepal continues to grapple with the aftermath of devastating flash floods in August near the Nepal-Tibet border.

The earlier disaster involved the Bhotekoshi River, which flows south from the Himalayan border region. Floodwaters swept away houses, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaged hydropower projects downstream.

Those floods killed at least 1,453 people and left more than 5,000 missing, according to figures cited in previous reports. The initial account of the disaster also referred to 1,457 deaths.

The latest flooding in Gorkha has raised fresh concerns about sudden river surges and the risks facing communities and infrastructure in Nepal's mountainous terrain.