Flash flood in Nepal's Bhudi Gandaki River washes away dozens of houses

Kathmandu: Massive flooding in the Budhi Gandaki River in Nepal's western Gorkha district swept away dozens of houses and other infrastructure, in an incident reminiscent of the devastating floods in the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers on August 26, a senior district official said on Sunday.

Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, chief district officer at the District Administration Office in Gorkha, said no casualties had been reported as of Sunday morning, although dozens of houses along the Budhi Gandaki River, which flows through Chumnubri Rural Municipality bordering China, had been affected.

"We are collecting details about the damage caused by the floods," he said. "Some houses in Jagat and Salleri villages in Chumnubri Rural Municipality, as well as the camp of the 341-MW Budhi Hydroelectric Project, were swept away by the floodwaters."

According to local media reports, the floods swept away houses, suspension bridges and a steel bridge, while also damaging the construction site of a hydropower project.

Initial estimates suggest that the flooding may have been triggered by a landslide between Lokpa and Chumling in Ward No. 6 of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, which may have blocked the Syar Khola, a tributary of the Budhi Gandaki River. This, however, has not been confirmed.

The exact cause of the flooding and the full extent of the damage have yet to be established.

Laxmi Gurung, vice-chairperson of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, told the local news portal Onlinekhabar that the Budhi Gandaki flood resembled the devastating flooding that struck the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa district on August 26.

"The Budhi Gandaki flood is reminiscent of the Bhotekoshi flood. Dozens of houses have been swept away. It is too early to determine the exact extent of the damage," she said.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) urged people living along the river to move to safer locations, warning that the water level had risen above the danger mark.

The latest incident occurred more than a month after devastating floods in the Rasuwa and Trishuli river areas claimed 1,455 lives, while 5,285 people remained missing, according to the NDRRMA.

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