Nepali authorities on Sunday urged residents living along riverbanks in several districts to move to safer locations after a major flood triggered by a landslide swept away houses and infrastructure in central Nepal. No casualties had been reported, officials said.
The flooding occurred after a dry landslide in Chumnubri village in Gorkha district, about 100km west of Kathmandu, blocked the Budhi Gandaki River, causing water to flood areas downstream. Authorities warned residents in vulnerable locations to evacuate as emergency personnel moved into the affected area to monitor conditions and assist with rescue operations.
Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, Gorkha district’s most senior bureaucrat, said several houses and two suspension bridges had been swept away by the flood. A hydroelectric project was also damaged, although officials did not provide further details about the extent of the destruction.
“We have asked villagers living along the river banks downstream to evacuate and remain safe,” Mishra said.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority issued alerts to communities along the river in Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan, East Nawalparasi and West Nawalparasi districts. The warning extended beyond the immediate landslide area as authorities sought to ensure that people downstream could reach safety before conditions deteriorated.
“Please help ensure that people in at-risk areas are moved to safe locations in time and assist search and rescue operations as needed,” the authority said in a social media post.
Army and police rescue personnel had reached the affected area, officials said. Emergency teams were also monitoring the situation from a helicopter as authorities assessed the flood’s impact and the risks to communities along the river.
The Budhi Gandaki is a tributary of the Trishuli River. The latest flooding comes after a catastrophic flood in August, when a glacier collapse in another tributary caused widespread devastation, killing 1,457 people, with thousands still missing, according to the source report.
Authorities did not report any casualties from Sunday’s flooding, but the loss of homes and bridges, together with damage to the hydroelectric project, highlighted the immediate threat to settlements and infrastructure downstream of the landslide-blocked river.
