Five people missing after Nepal flash floods sweep away houses

Kathmandu – Flash floods hit central Nepal on Sunday, sweeping away houses and leaving at least five people missing, officials said, weeks after devastating flooding that killed hundreds.

Videos circulating online showed a dark, debris-filled river surging through the hills in Gorkha district.

“What we know is that a dry landslide had blocked the river and then it burst to cause the flood,” said national disaster agency chief Dharam Raj Uprety.

Some 45 houses were swept away, with the flood also damaging three hydropower projects and four bridges.

According to the disaster agency, at least 82 people, including nine foreigners, have been rescued from the affected areas.

“Five people are unaccounted for,” Uprety said.

Four helicopters were deployed to support rescue and evacuation efforts as water levels in the Budhi Gandaki continued to rise.

Authorities earlier issued an alert, urging residents to move away from the river to safer areas.

The latest flooding comes with Nepal still recovering from devastating floods, triggered by a mountain glacial collapse on Aug. 26, which killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing.

“The flood looked similar. ... It was very scary, and it still feels like a nightmare for us,” said local official Laxmi Gurung of Chumnubri rural municipality.

“Our house is gone, we have no electricity ... but there have been no casualties.”

The Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said the floods highlight the “range of hazards capable of generating destructive floods in Himalayan river systems.”

“While response efforts must remain the immediate priority, understanding what triggered this flood, will be critical for reducing future risks and strengthening resilience,” ICIMOD’s director general Pema Gyamtsho said in a statement.

Heavy rainfall in late September also triggered floods and landslides, killing at least 21 people, according to the disaster agency.