A major river in Nepal has flooded, sweeping away houses, bridges and damaging a part of a hydropower station, authorities have said.
Around fifty people were rescued from the banks of the Budhi Gandaki River in central Gorkha district, the army confirmed, while five remain missing and no casualties have been reported to date.
The rise in water level – from roughly two metres to 8.5 metres within a few hours – was captured on video, showing the river surge floodplain and washing away an entire building complex.
Gorkha was already battered by catastrophic floods earlier in the year that claimed more than 1,400 lives and left thousands missing. The current deluge struck as local communities began preparations for Dashain, Nepal’s most important festival.
Families now face displacement and uncertainty over shelter and supplies. The flood lost about a dozen homes and several suspension bridges, and a hydroelectric construction site was damaged, taking equipment downstream.
Binod Parajuli, a meteorologist with the Nepalese government, said the hydrological station on the river was destroyed and its data are no longer available.
Experts suggest the debris‑flow is smaller and slower than the August floods, although the exact trigger remains unclear. Some speculate a landslide may have temporarily dammed the river, while others point to an upstream ice‑avalanche.
“Children’s lives have been ripped apart in an instant yet again,” said Tara Chettry, director for Save the Children Nepal. “We are yet to see the full scale of the damage, but many are still in shock after last year’s floods.”
The new flood follows a 2015 glacier collapse that triggered a deadly surge downstream, illustrating the region’s vulnerability to rapid climate‑related events.
