2 hrs ago
Flash Flood Sweeps Away Homes and Bridges in Nepal’s Gorkha
A sudden flood rushed through part of Gorkha, Nepal, early Sunday.
It carried mud and debris and swept away homes and bridges.
Reports differ on how many houses were lost, and officials were still checking the damage.
A camp for a hydropower project was also damaged.
Four people who lived beside the river were missing, and another report said 15 people were stuck in a forest.
No deaths had been reported in the updates.
Police and rescue teams went to the area, and helicopters were used to help.
Officials told people near rivers to move to safer places.
The flood may have followed a landslide blocking a stream, but the cause has not been confirmed.
A debris-laden flood surged through the Budhi Gandaki river area in Gorkha early Sunday, with residents reporting loud river sounds from around 4 a.m.
Local accounts said more than 35 houses were swept away, while a district official separately reported about a dozen houses lost; the full damage assessment was not complete.
Reports described damage to suspension bridges, other bridges and a construction camp for the under-construction 341-megawatt Budhi Gandaki hydropower project.
Four people living in a shed near the Ungilung river were unaccounted for, while reports also said 15 people were stranded in a forest; no deaths had been reported.
Authorities urged riverside residents to evacuate, deployed police and other rescue teams, and used helicopters for rescue, relief and evacuation operations.
- Who
- Residents and tourists in northern Gorkha; four people living near the Ungilung river were unaccounted for.
- What
- A flash flood swept away homes and bridges, damaged a hydropower construction camp, and prompted evacuations and rescue operations.
- Where
- The Budhi Gandaki river area in Gorkha district, Nepal.
- When
- Early Sunday; residents reported loud river sounds from around 4 a.m.
- Why
- The cause is unconfirmed. Officials and residents cited possible landslides or a temporarily blocked stream.
Higher early damage reports
More limited official early count
Number of houses swept away
Higher early damage reports
Local accounts and several reports said more than 35 houses were swept away.
More limited official early count
Gorkha Chief District Officer Dharmendra Kumar Mishra was also reported as saying about a dozen houses had been swept away; the overall damage assessment remained incomplete.
Cause of the flood
Higher early damage reports
Residents and early reports suspected that the Syar stream had been temporarily blocked, possibly by a landslide, before water broke through.
More limited official early count
Officials said the cause was still unclear; Mishra cited preliminary reports of a landslide above Siuribas, while another account mentioned possible slides near other rivers.
Key facts
- Reported houses swept away
- More than 35 in local accounts; a district official separately reported about a dozen.
- People unaccounted for
- Four people who lived in a shed near the Ungilung river.
- People reportedly stranded
- 15 people in a forest above Yarukhola, according to one report.
- Bridge damage
- Reports describe two suspension bridges and several other bridges swept away; accounts differ on the exact number and locations.
- Hydropower project
- The under-construction Budhi Gandaki project is a 341-megawatt semi-reservoir plant.
- Reported deaths
- None reported in the accounts provided.
- Response
- Authorities urged riverside residents to evacuate; police and other rescue personnel were mobilised, and helicopters were deployed.
- Possible cause
- A landslide may have blocked a stream or river before water surged downstream; officials had not confirmed the cause.
Quotes
Dharmendra Kumar Mishra
Gorkha district's senior bureaucrat
“The Budhigandaki flood is reminiscent of the Bhotekoshi flood. It has washed away dozens of houses. It is not possible to say the exact extent of the damage right now.”
telegraphindia.com
“We have asked villagers living along the river banks downstream to evacuate and remain safe.”
telegraphindia.com
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority
Nepal's national disaster authority
“Please help ensure that people in at-risk areas are moved to safe locations in time and assist search and rescue operations as needed.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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