Archive · 11 Oct 2026
Flash Flood Sweeps Away Homes and Bridges in Nepal’s Gorkha
A sudden flood rushed through the Budhi Gandaki River area in Gorkha, Nepal, early Sunday.
It carried mud and debris and swept away homes and bridges.
Reports gave different counts of the homes lost, and officials said they were still checking the damage.
The flood also damaged a camp for a hydropower project.
Reports disagreed about how many people were missing: one said four, while another said 10.
One account also said 15 people were stuck in a forest.
Rescue teams used helicopters, and authorities told people near rivers to move to safer places.
No deaths had been reported in the accounts.
Officials had not confirmed what caused the flood, though early reports suggested a landslide or a blocked river or stream.
A debris-laden flash flood struck the Budhi Gandaki River area in Gorkha, Nepal, early Sunday, after residents heard loud river sounds from around 4 a.m.
Reports said more than 35 houses were swept away, while one district official gave an early estimate of about a dozen; officials said the damage assessment was incomplete.
Accounts differed on missing people: one reported four unaccounted for near the Ungilung river, while another said 10 were reported missing; 15 people were also reported stranded in a forest.
The flood damaged a hydropower construction camp and swept away bridges; reports differ on the number and locations of bridges lost.
Police, army and local authorities mounted rescue and evacuation operations, including helicopter evacuations; no deaths had been reported in the accounts.
- Who
- Residents and tourists in northern Gorkha; reports said four or 10 people were missing, depending on the account.
- What
- A flash flood swept away homes and bridges, damaged a hydropower construction camp, and prompted rescue and evacuation operations.
- When
- Early Sunday; residents reported loud river sounds from around 4 a.m.
- Where
- The Budhi Gandaki River area in Gorkha district, Nepal.
- Why
- The cause remained unconfirmed. Early accounts suggested a landslide or a river or stream blocked and then breached.
Higher or broader early reports
Lower or more cautious official accounts
Number of houses swept away
Higher or broader early reports
Local accounts and several reports said more than 35 houses were swept away.
Lower or more cautious official accounts
Gorkha Chief District Officer Dharmendra Kumar Mishra was also reported as giving an early estimate of about a dozen; officials said the full assessment was not complete.
Number of people missing
Higher or broader early reports
One account said 10 people had been reported missing.
Lower or more cautious official accounts
Another account said four people living beside the Ungilung river were unaccounted for; the reports do not reconcile the differing counts.
Cause of the flood
Higher or broader early reports
Residents and early accounts suspected a stream may have been blocked, possibly by a landslide, before water surged downstream.
Lower or more cautious official accounts
Officials said the cause was unconfirmed and technical analysis was ongoing; preliminary accounts mentioned possible landslides in different locations.
- Houses swept away
- Reports said more than 35; Gorkha’s chief district officer also gave an early estimate of about a dozen.
- Missing people
- Reports differed: one account said four people near the Ungilung river were unaccounted for; another reported 10 missing.
- People stranded
- One report said 15 people were stuck in a forest above Yarukhola.
- Bridges
- Reports described multiple bridges swept away, with one account citing six; accounts differed on bridge types and locations.
- Water level
- The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported a rise from 3.66 metres at 6:30 a.m. to 8.43 metres at 8:40 a.m., above the 5-metre danger mark.
- Hydropower project
- The under-construction Budhi Gandaki project is a 341-megawatt semi-reservoir plant; its construction camp and some equipment were reported swept away or damaged.
- Reported deaths
- No deaths had been reported in the accounts.
- Possible cause
- Officials had not confirmed the cause; preliminary accounts suggested a landslide or a blocked river or stream that later breached.
Sources
Nepal floods: 10 missing, 6 bridges washed away as Budhi Gandaki river overflows
Over 35 houses, bridges swept away by flash flood in Nepal's Gorkha; villagers urged to evacuate
Houses, Bridges Swept Away In Nepal Flash Flood Months After Deadly Disaster
