Nepal urges villagers to evacuate after flood triggered by landslide, 5 missing

KATHMANDU: Nepali authorities have urged villagers to relocate to safer locations after a flood triggered by a landslide in central Nepal swept away several houses and critical infrastructure, though there are no reports of casualties yet. Two women and three men remain missing, according to the national disaster authority. A landslide in Chumnubri village, located about 62 miles west of Kathmandu, blocked the Budhi Gandaki River, causing downstream flooding, officials explained.

The Budhi Gandaki, a tributary of the Trishuli River, experienced a similar catastrophic flood in August that resulted in 1,457 deaths and thousands of missing persons. Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, the senior bureaucrat of Gorkha district, has requested villagers residing along the riverbanks downstream to evacuate and ensure their safety.

The flood destroyed approximately a dozen houses, two suspension bridges, and damaged a hydroelectric project camp, with some construction equipment carried away by the raging waters. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported that the overflowing river, now carrying muddy sludge, is rising and has washed away a highway bridge connecting Gorkha with the neighboring Dhading district.

National disaster authorities have alerted people living in Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan, East Nawalparasi, and West Nawalparasi districts about the flood, urging them to move to safe locations promptly and provide assistance in search and rescue operations when needed.