Five people are still reported missing after yesterday's flash flood along the BudhiGandaki river in Gorkha district. The flood washed away houses and bridges. Rescue work, evacuations and damage checks are continuing and the cause is still being investigated.
Among the missing are two women and three men from Chumchet in Chumnubri Rural Municipality-6. No confirmed deaths have been reported by authorities as of now. The flood began at around 4:oo a.m. and hit Chumnubri and Dharche rural municipalities.
The Nepal Army rescued 49 people on October 11, including a foreign national.
As per the damage, early estimates are of about 35 to 40 houses being swept away from places such as Jagat Bagar, Salleri and Ghattikhola.
Several suspension bridges and motorable bridges were swept away or damaged. One of them connects Gorkha with Dhading district. Roads and communications were also hit.
The flood damaged a construction camp and equipment at the 341-megawatt Budhi Gandaki hydropower project, which was still under construction.
Cause
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) says a landslide near Chumchet may have blocked the river for a time. The blockage may then have given way, sending water, mud and debris downstream. This is believed to be a preliminary assessment as per ICIMOD.
ICIMOD says the event shows how exposed mountain communities and river-side infrastructure are. It says both landslides and river levels need watching in steep areas, where hazards can build quickly and reach people far from the original blockage.
The Budhi Gandaki flows into the Trishuli river system, so authorities warned people along the Budhi Gandaki, Trishuli and Narayani rivers to move to safer places. Early alerts named Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan, East Nawalparasi and West Nawalparasi.
The United Nations in Nepal said it is supporting rapid assessments led by the government. The FAO has sent a LiDAR drone, OCHA is arranging satellite imagery through UNOSAT, and the World Food Programme is helping move relief supplies.
The main priorities are finding the missing, helping displaced families, reopening access where possible and working out the full damage. The loss of bridges could make it harder for residents and rescue teams to reach remote villages.
