At least five people are missing and 95, including nine foreigners, have been rescued after flash floods hit Nepal's Gorkha and Dhading districts early Sunday, as security personnel launched search and rescue in affected areas.
The Syar Khola stream, blocked by a landslide earlier, surged around 4:30 am after the Budhi Gandaki River joined it, inundating nearly 130 villages across two districts. Floodwaters swept away 130 houses, four bridges and camp offices of Budhi Gandaki hydropower projects in Gorkha.
An aerial view of flooding in Kali Gandaki River shows the scale. A joint operation team led by Nepal Army rescued 95 stranded by floods. Official sources said 35 airlifted to Kathmandu, remaining 60 moved to safer places. Ground forces and aerial teams deployed with four helicopters.
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The cause of sudden surge of Budhi Gandaki remained unclear. Residents suspect Syar Khola, a tributary of the river between Lokpa and Chumling in Chumnubri-6, may have been blocked, triggering flooding. Floodwaters swept away houses in Salleri and Paiyuka, as well as areas along riverbed. A suspension bridge connecting a ward was swept away, Ram Kumar Gurung, ward chair of Chumnubri Rural Municipality-3, told The Kathmandu Post.
The flood also damaged two hydropower projects in Gorkha district, while four bridges swept away by waters cut off affected areas from rest of country, according to National Authority for Risk Reduction.
Nepali authorities urged residents living along river to move to safer places and remain alert. Netra Prasad Sharma, assistant chief district officer of Gorkha, said district administration issued advisory.
For India, this is not distant news. Budhi Gandaki is part of Gandak system that flows into Bihar. Flash floods in Nepal's middle hills - increasingly linked to landslide-dammed rivers bursting - are becoming frequent with erratic monsoon and glacial melt. Last year's Sikkim glacial lake outburst showed similar pattern.
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India and Nepal share early warning systems but ground implementation is weak. What Nepal's rescue - army helicopters, quick airlifts - shows is preparedness matters when geography gives only minutes between blockage and breach.
Tags: #NepalFlood #Gorkha #Dhading #BudhiGandaki #FlashFlood #Landslide #NepalArmy #KaliGandaki #HimalayanDisaster #Gandak