A major river in central Nepal has flooded, destroying houses and suspension bridges while causing damage to a hydropower station. The army confirmed that approximately 50 individuals were rescued along the banks of the Budhi Gandaki River in the Gorkha district, though five people remain missing and no fatalities have been documented so far.
Footage from the area captured raging torrents sweeping down a valley and washing away an entire building complex. The disaster struck on Sunday as communities and children were preparing to celebrate the start of the major Dashain festival, forcing terrified families to abandon their homes and search for safe shelter and supplies.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, the surging waters carried away roughly a dozen homes, multiple suspension bridges, and construction equipment belonging to a hydroelectric project. Officials noted that water levels at one station spiked from two meters to nearly 8.5 meters within the span of a couple of hours.
Government meteorologist Binod Parajuli stated that their hydrological station was destroyed in the deluge, cutting off incoming data from that site. Experts observed that while destructive, this debris-flow was smaller and moved more slowly than the severe flash floods that occurred in August.
The exact trigger for the latest flooding remains unconfirmed. While some observers suggest a landslide temporarily blocked the river or a tributary before bursting, others report that locals upstream observed an ice avalanche.
In response to the crisis, Save the Children is deploying an emergency team to the affected region. Tara Chettry, the charity's director in Nepal, noted that children are facing renewed trauma and devastation just as they were attempting to recover from the massive floods that struck less than two months ago, leaving more than 1,400 people dead and thousands missing.