Flash floods in central Nepal have swept away about 45 houses, damaged bridges and hydropower projects, and left at least five people missing, officials said on Sunday.
The flooding struck Gorkha district after a landslide blocked a river before the accumulated water burst through, triggering a powerful surge through nearby communities.
National disaster agency chief Dharam Raj Uprety told AFP that the incident followed a dry landslide that obstructed the river.
Videos circulating online showed a dark, debris-filled river rushing through the hilly area.
Nepal Floods Damage Bridges and Hydropower Projects
The floods swept away approximately 45 houses and damaged three hydropower projects and four bridges, according to officials.
At least 82 people, including nine foreign nationals, were rescued from affected areas, Uprety said.
“Five people are unaccounted for,” he added.
Authorities deployed four helicopters to support rescue and evacuation operations as water levels in the Budhi Gandaki River continued to rise.
Officials had earlier issued an alert urging residents to leave riverside areas and move to safer locations.
### Residents Recall Previous Devastating Floods
The latest disaster comes as Nepal continues to recover from earlier devastating flooding linked to a mountain glacial collapse on August 26, which reportedly killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing.
Laxmi Gurung, a local official in Chumnubri rural municipality, described the latest incident as frightening.
“The flood looked similar… It was very scary, and it still feels like a nightmare for us,” Gurung said.
She added that her community had suffered significant damage.
“Our house is gone, we have no electricity… but there have been no casualties.”
Heavy rainfall in late September also triggered floods and landslides that killed at least 21 people, according to the national disaster agency.
The latest flooding has renewed concerns about the safety of communities living near rivers and mountainous areas vulnerable to landslides and sudden surges of water.
