A sudden flood in the Budhi Gandaki River in Nepal’s Gorkha district on Oct. 11, triggered by a landslide, caused another disaster in the Himalayan nation, which is already grappling with the aftermath of the unprecedented floods of Aug. 10–11 that killed more than 1,497 people.
The sudden flooding on Sunday damaged more than three dozen houses, two motorable bridges, two suspension bridges, three hydropower projects, and 34 livestock sheds, according to The Kathmandu Post, a leading Nepali daily. The flood also destroyed several power and communication towers, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Local media outlet Online Khabar identified the damaged locality as Shanti Bazaar, where residents managed to escape but could not save their cattle, which were swept away by the floodwaters.
Buddhiprasad Dhakal, 60, a resident of Gangajamuna Rural Municipality in Dhading district, near the Budhi Gandaki River, was milking his buffalo on Sunday morning when he heard the loud roar of the surging river and moved to higher ground.
“While I was milking the buffalo, the Ganga (Budhi Gandaki) began roaring. The flood was just like the one in Bhotekoshi. It caused devastation at around 8 a.m.,” Dhakal told Online Khabar.
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According to local media reports, Shanti Bazaar had 30–40 houses and sheds, of which only one or two remained visibly intact.
By Sunday afternoon, the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority had evacuated around 49 people living along the river to safer locations. Stranded people continued to be rescued by helicopter, with Nepali Army ground troops also involved in the rescue operations, according to AP.
“We have asked villagers living along the riverbanks downstream to evacuate and remain safe,” said Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, the Gorkha district’s chief administrative official, according to Reuters.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority alerted people living downstream along the flooded river, while the country’s law enforcement agencies continued to monitor the situation.
“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 National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said in a message on X.
Back-to-back disasters
Sunday’s flash floods along the Budhi Gandaki River came just two months after unprecedented flooding near the Nepal-China border that swept away border posts at Bhotekoshi.
The back-to-back floods have raised serious concerns about the safety of villages and towns along Nepal’s many Himalayan, glacier-fed river corridors, as well as the threats faced by communities downstream, according to The Kathmandu Post.
Sunday’s floods occurred a day before the office of Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah announced the end of search-and-rescue operations for the August floods that left thousands missing. His administration instead decided to focus on restoring roads and bridges and supporting recovery efforts, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The floods also struck during the peak trekking season, when tourists from around the world visit the Himalayan nation, and have particularly affected local trekking businesses. According to KP, around 155 tourists were stranded along several trekking trails in the affected area.
“We had never heard such a sound before. It reminded us of the August 26 Bhotekoshi flood, and we realised this was a flood,” hotelier Sherap Gurung of Lokpa told The Kathmandu Post. Lokpa is the entry village and permit checkpoint for the Tsum Valley trekking area in northern Gorkha district.
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