Gorkha, Nepal: A sudden flash flood tore down the Budhi Gandaki River in Nepal's Gorkha district on Sunday morning, October 11, 2026, sweeping away homes, markets, and bridges and triggering a massive search-and-rescue operation by the Nepali Army. At least five people were still unaccounted for by Sunday evening, while 49 people had been rescued by the afternoon.
What happened on the Budhi Gandaki
The flood struck at around 4 a.m. local time on Sunday, when the river's level reportedly surged from two metres to nearly 8.5 metres within hours at one monitoring point — a hydrological station was itself swept away by the waters, cutting off data feeds just as the river peaked, according to the Dim Sum Daily's account of the disaster. Footage shared from the valley showed buildings and sheds collapsing as the swollen river undercut the banks on its way toward the Trishuli confluence.
The flood destroyed nearly 35 houses in Painyu and Bagar in Ward 3 of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, and damaged settlements in Jagat, Salleri, Dovan and Ghattekhola, according to Assistant Chief District Officer Netra Prasad Sharma, who spoke to ANI by phone.
Six bridges and two hydropower projects destroyed
The flood swept away six bridges, including two motorable bridges and four suspension bridges, officials confirmed. The destroyed motorable bridges were at Arughat, Tripurasundari and Soti-Manbu, while a Bailey bridge connecting wards 1 and 3 of Dharche Rural Municipality was also carried off, along with footbridges connecting Machhikhola with Karauja, Thadobharyang with Jagat, and Ghattekhola with Philim.
Two hydropower projects in the district were also damaged, and power and communications infrastructure along parts of the corridor suffered disruption.
A landslide may have dammed the river
According to the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), preliminary accounts from Nepal's authorities suggest a landslide near Chumchet in Gorkha district may have created a temporary blockage in the river, which then breached — releasing a powerful surge of mud, sediment and debris downstream along the Budhi Gandaki corridor.
Army helicopters join the rescue
Prime Minister Balen Shah said a Nepali Army contingent had been deployed by air and land to conduct search and rescue operations, with helicopters mobilised to support relief and evacuation efforts. The Nepal Army said six people were airlifted from the landslide-threatened Jagat area, and a composite quick reaction team from Kathmandu was flown in to assist.
Home Minister Sudan Gurung warned of the possibility of another severe flood following the surge, and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority urged people living near the river — from Budhi Gandaki up to Trishuli Dobhan — to stay away from the riverbanks and move to high ground. Warnings extended to communities along the Budhi Gandaki, Trishuli and Narayani river systems.
Save the Children said it was deploying an emergency team, warning that many children were likely to be in shock as communities once again faced displacement just as the Dashain festival was beginning. An early warning had prompted evacuations in the market town of Arughat.
The takeaway: Nepal is still counting the damage from Sunday's surge — with search teams hunting for the missing and thousands of people cut off along the river corridor, the coming days will test the country's disaster response as monsoon-season risks stretch deeper into autumn.
Watch: Nepal Flood Horror: Budhi Gandaki River swallows homes and destroys bridges (CNN-News18) — footage of the floodwaters sweeping through Gorkha, the destroyed bridges and ongoing rescue efforts.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Volatile Reaction (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources
- Dim Sum Daily: Flash flood in central Nepal sweeps away homes and bridges
- Asia Insurance Post: Landslide, possible dam breach may have triggered Nepal flash flood
- Eastern Lens: Nepal flash flood — 10 missing, houses and bridges swept away
- Indian Economic Observer: 10 missing, 6 rescued as flash flood hits Budhi Gandaki