5 Missing as Landslide Deluge Hits Budhi Gandaki River; Over 200 Rescued in Gorkha
Emergency search and rescue operations mobilized across north-central Nepal on Monday as the Nepal Army and disaster management contingents reached remote Himalayan settlements devastated by sudden flash floods along the Budhi Gandaki River corridor. The catastrophe was triggered on Sunday when an enormous landslide dammed the river channel near Chumchure village in Gorkha district before violently bursting through, sending high-velocity debris and floodwaters crashing into downstream valleys. At least five people remain unaccounted for in the affected zones, though local authorities noted that timely warning signals enabled preemptive evacuations that prevented large-scale casualties. Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, the chief government administrator of Gorkha district, confirmed that first responders successfully evacuated more than 200 displaced villagers and trekkers to secure shelters during intensive operations on Monday.
High-Altitude Air Rescue in Gorkha: 9 Foreign Trekkers Evacuated During Peak Season
The disaster struck during the prime October trekking window, typically the most active season for international mountaineering and hiking across Nepal's iconic Himalayan routes. Officials from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) reported that emergency personnel located and evacuated nine foreign tourists stranded on isolated trails, escorting them to nearby municipal staging towns for safety. Military helicopters operated continuous sorties alongside ground units to drop rations, emergency medical supplies, and shelter kits to cutoff villages along the river basin. Although fierce high-altitude winds forced the temporary grounding of helicopter missions on Monday afternoon, administrative teams confirmed that aerial rescue flights and supply drops are scheduled to resume early Tuesday to survey inaccessible pockets of the rugged terrain.
Infrastructure Collapse: 5 Bridges and 3 Power Plants Battered by Mountain Deluge
Terrifying video clips circulating across social media platforms depict roaring, mud-choked waters surging down steep mountain gorges, sweeping away hillside dwellings, cattle sheds, and fertile agricultural terraces in seconds. The flash flood inflicted extensive damage to strategic regional connectivity, washing away five bridges and heavily damaging construction sites across three hydroelectric power plants. The new crisis delivers a cruel blow to a nation already struggling to rebuild from the catastrophic monsoon deluge in August that claimed over 14,000 lives and left thousands missing. With the office of Prime Minister Balendra Shah having officially declared the conclusion of search and rescue operations from the August disaster on October 5 to pivot toward nationwide reconstruction, this latest environmental blow underscores the acute climate fragility of Nepal's river valleys and mountain infrastructure.
