In brief
Heavy flooding on the Budhi Gandaki River has engulfed central Nepal, knocking out a dozen homes and several suspension bridges while damaging a hydropower station. Within hours the water rose from 2 metres to nearly 8.5 metres, forcing the army to rescue about 50 people and leaving five missing with no casualties yet. The crisis struck at a holiday weekend, just as villagers were preparing to celebrate Dashain, the national festival. Relief groups such as Save the Children are now rushing in to aid families still reeling from the August disaster.
The Budhi Gandaki River crashed the valley of the Gorkha district, erasing a dozen houses, sweeping away multiple suspension bridges and damaging a hydropower construction site. In a matter of hours the river swelled from 2 metres to around 8.5 metres, a torrent that forced the army to rescue roughly 50 people; five remain missing and no deaths have been confirmed.
- A sudden rise of the river from two metres to 8.5 metres occurred within just a few hours.
- At least 50 people were rescued by the army; five individuals are still missing.
- Priority infrastructure damaged includes dozens of houses, several bridges and a hydropower station under construction.
- The flood surged while villagers were preparing to celebrate Dashain, the country’s major festival.
- Relief agencies such as Save the Children have begun emergency operations on the ground.
Our hydrological station was swept away and we are not receiving data from that location, reports Binod Parajuli, a meteorologist who works with the Nepalese government.
The largest still‑ongoing concern is the uncertainty over safe shelter and essential supplies for the many families displaced. Residents face lingering trauma from the August flood that killed over 1,400 people and left thousands missing. In the face of rapid climatic changes, Nepali authorities emphasize the need for better early warning systems and resilient infrastructure to cope with future flash floods.
