Nepal rescuers search for missing after flash flood

Nepal is searching for five people missing after flash floods ravaged over 200 homes and five bridges in the Gorkha district along the Budhi Gandaki river. The dark, debris-filled river surged through the hills, but no deaths have been confirmed. On Sunday, 95 people, including nine foreigners, were rescued. Four helicopters are being used for the ongoing rescue and relief efforts, with no new information on the five missing individuals.

Approximately 150 foreign trekkers, mostly on the Manaslu circuit trek, are in the area. The Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal is collaborating with authorities to rescue those stranded due to damaged roads. Aid is being delivered to affected communities, as residents fled their homes on Sunday morning when the torrent arrived. Local resident Indra Bahadur Gurung recounted screaming to evacuate his home before the flood overwhelmed it.

A landslide likely caused the river to dam and then burst, sending the water downstream. Prime Minister Balendra Shah urged residents to remain in safe locations and to avoid traveling on precarious roads and bridges. Nepal is still grappling with the aftermath of devastating floods on August 26, caused by a mountain glacial collapse, which resulted in over 1,400 deaths and 5,000 people missing. Shah referenced the August floods as a warning about climate change's rising dangers.

Basanta Raj Adhikari, director at the Centre for Disaster Studies at Tribhuvan University, emphasized the need for improved monitoring, suggesting satellite images and seismometers could help detect events earlier. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development highlighted that the floods demonstrate the range of hazards capable of triggering destructive floods in Himalayan river systems. Identifying the cause of this flood is crucial for reducing future risks and enhancing resilience.