Nepal Authorities Urge Evacuation After Landslide Triggers River Flood in Gorkha

Nepali authorities have urged villagers in central Nepal to move to safer locations after a massive flood swept away several houses and infrastructure, though no casualties have been reported.

A dry landslide in Chumnubri village in Gorkha district, about 100 km west of Kathmandu, blocked the Budhi Gandaki River on Sunday, causing downstream flooding. The Budhi Gandaki is a tributary of the Trishuli River.

Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, the senior-most bureaucrat in Gorkha district, said villagers living along the river banks downstream had been asked to evacuate and stay safe. He reported that several houses and two suspension bridges were swept away, and a hydroelectric project sustained damage.

National disaster authorities issued alerts to residents along the river in Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan, East Nawalparasi and West Nawalparasi districts. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority called for people in at-risk areas to be moved to safe locations in time and for assistance with search and rescue operations as needed.

Army and police rescue personnel have reached the affected area and are monitoring the situation, including from a helicopter.

The incident comes in a region that experienced a catastrophic flood in August, triggered by a glacier collapse on another tributary of the Trishuli, which killed 1,457 people with thousands still missing.