A catastrophic flash flood has torn through the Gorkha district in central Nepal, destroying homes, bridges and damaging a major hydropower project under construction. Authorities confirmed that 95 people, including nine foreigners, were rescued from the banks of the Budhi Gandaki River, with five people still missing and no deaths reported so far.
The disaster struck on 11 October as communities prepared to celebrate the first day of Dashain, one of Nepal's most important festivals. Video footage captured the moment torrential waters surged down the valley, obliterating an entire building complex in its path. According to local reporting, between 35 and 40 houses and several suspension bridges were swept away, with more than 200 homes damaged overall and over 650 people affected by the flooding.
The five missing people were identified as two women and three men who had been staying at a sheepfold in Ungiling, Chumchet, according to reporting from the region. Additionally, four to five herders travelling from Sirdibas towards Chumling were reported out of contact. Some settlements have become completely isolated and are now accessible only by helicopter.
How did the water levels rise so dramatically?
The flood's intensity was extraordinary, with water levels at one monitoring point rising from two metres to nearly 8.5 metres within just a couple of hours. According to preliminary analysis from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, the flood may have been triggered by the failure of a temporary blockage created by a landslide near Chumchet. The initial surge began around 4:00 a.m. on 11 October. Some local accounts also mention the possibility of an ice-avalanche upstream, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
Binod Parajuli, a meteorologist working with the Nepalese government, described the challenge of understanding the event:
Our hydrological station was swept away and we are not getting any data from that location.This loss of monitoring equipment has hampered efforts to gather real-time information about the flood's progression.
What infrastructure was damaged?
The flood caused significant damage to critical infrastructure in the region. The 341-megawatt Budhi Gandaki hydropower project, which was under construction in Salleri, Chumnubri-3, sustained damage when the floodwaters swept away construction equipment from the site. The disaster management authority confirmed that a hydroelectric facility was damaged, though the full extent of the impact on the project's timeline and completion remains unclear.
Suspension bridges that connected communities across the river were destroyed, further isolating affected settlements. Nepal's army mobilised four helicopters to conduct search and rescue operations and to deliver supplies to cut-off areas.
How does this compare to previous disasters?
Nepal is still recovering from catastrophic flooding that struck its border regions with Tibet just two months earlier, in August, which killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands missing. That disaster was caused by an avalanche of rock and ice near the peak of Lantang Lirung in the Himalayas. Experts have noted that while Sunday's debris-flow was destructive, it was considerably smaller and moved more slowly than the August floods.
The Budhi Gandaki is a tributary of the Trishuli river, located downstream from another tributary where the earlier glacier collapse occurred. The proximity of these two major disasters within weeks has raised concerns about the vulnerability of communities in the region.
What are the humanitarian concerns?
Families have been forced to abandon their homes with little certainty about where they will find shelter or access to food and water. Ganesh Karki, a resident of Jagatbagar, described his experience to local media:
We never imagined a flood of this size. The water surged for about 15 minutes and then stopped repeatedly throughout the morning. We are afraid to return home at night.He and others in his community fled uphill into a nearby forest after receiving warning calls early in the morning.
Save the Children has mobilised an emergency response team to address the crisis. Tara Chettry, the charity's director in Nepal, expressed deep concern about the psychological impact on young people:
Children's lives have been ripped apart in an instant yet again. We are yet to see the full scale of the damage, but they may have lost their homes, schools and communities. Many children in Gorkha will still be in shock and distress after the mega floods in August, barely having a chance to get back on their feet.
Why is Nepal so vulnerable to these disasters?
Nepal's location in the Himalayas makes it inherently prone to natural hazards including earthquakes, landslides and floods. The unpredictable mountain environment creates conditions where glaciers, snow and ice can fail suddenly, releasing enormous volumes of water and debris downstream. Climate change is accelerating glacier melt across the region, which experts warn is likely increasing the frequency and severity of such disasters and leaving local communities increasingly exposed to risk.
What happens next?
Authorities continue to assess the full extent of damage and investigate the precise cause of the flood. No scheduled date has been announced for completion of the damage assessment or findings from the official inquiry.
Key Facts:
- 95 people rescued from the Budhi Gandaki River in Gorkha district; five remain missing
- 35–40 houses and multiple suspension bridges destroyed; over 200 homes damaged
- Water levels rose from 2 metres to 8.5 metres in approximately two hours
- The 341-megawatt Budhi Gandaki hydropower project under construction sustained damage
- The flood may have been triggered by a landslide-created blockage that failed near Chumchet
