Disaster struck Nepal again as a torrent of mud, rocks and debris tore through villages in Nepal’s Himalayan foothills on October 11. Dozens of homes and several bridges were swept away and at least five people are reported to be missing.
The flash flood struck the Budhi Gandaki River, a tributary of the Trishuli River in Gorkha district, around 100 kilometres west of Kathmandu. Preliminary assessments by Nepal’s disaster authorities and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development suggest that a landslide blocked the river upstream, creating a temporary barrier that later gave way and unleashed a sudden surge downstream. The precise cause is still being assessed.
Almost 45 houses were swept away, with the flood also damaging three hydropower projects and four bridges. Floodwaters also damaged the construction site and equipment of the under-construction 341-megawatt Budhi Gandaki hydropower project, along with electricity and telecommunications infrastructure.
Authorities issued mobile phone alerts and urged residents downstream, including those along the Trishuli and Narayani river systems, to move to safer areas. The Nepali Army rescued 95 people, including nine foreign nationals. According to Nepal’s disaster management authority, 437 security personnel had been mobilised for rescue operations as of Sunday.
The disaster comes as Nepal continues to grapple with the aftermath of deadly flooding in August, which killed more than 1,400 people and over 5000 missing.