Flash flood sweeps away homes and bridges in northern Nepal

A flash flood along Nepal’s Budhi Gandaki River swept away homes, bridges and walking trails in Gorkha district on Sunday, forcing residents to higher ground and cutting off several settlements.

Five people were reported missing, while the Nepali Army said 95 people, including nine foreigners, had been rescued. No deaths had been reported. Nepal’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said more than 200 homes were damaged and more than 650 people were affected. The flood also damaged part of a hydropower project and carried away construction equipment.

The Associated Press reported that a landslide blocked the river near Chumchure, creating a temporary dam that later breached. The BBC said the cause was not yet settled, citing reports of either a landslide blockage or an ice avalanche upstream.

The river rose from about two metres to nearly 8.5 metres within hours at one location, officials said. A hydrological monitoring station was swept away.

The Kathmandu Post reported that washed-out trails isolated Jagat and Salleri, leaving residents, workers and more than 100 trekkers unable to leave by land. About 70 people were sheltering on a hillside in Salleri, while helicopters delivered food and authorities prepared further evacuations. The army mobilised four helicopters for search-and-rescue operations.