A sudden river surge in central Nepal destroyed about 40 homes and several bridges, leaving at least five people missing. Authorities deployed helicopters for rescue operations and issued mass evacuation alerts as preliminary findings pointed to a possible ice avalanche and the collapse of a natural dam.

Flood damage in Nepal’s Gorkha province after a sudden river surge destroyed homes and bridges.

A sudden surge in central Nepal destroyed homes and bridges, prompting helicopter rescues and emergency evacuation alerts.

A sudden river surge in central Nepal swept away about 40 homes and several bridges, leaving at least five people missing, authorities said Sunday, as rescue teams searched for survivors.

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The Nepal Army reported the river overflow at 5:55 a.m. local time in Gorkha province, where a monitoring station recorded a water-level rise of 8.4 meters. Gorkha was among the areas hardest hit by a massive flood in August that killed 1,450 people and left 5,200 missing, according to authorities.

The surge swept away homes in Jagat Bagar, Salleri and Ghattekhola, Narayan Prasad Sapkota, administrative chief of Chumanubri rural municipality in Gorkha.

“The flooding situation is returning to normal. We are currently carrying out rescue operations,” Sapkota said.

Nepal hit by catastrophic flooding again

A flash flood on the Budhi Gandaki has devastated Gorkha:

🔸 35–40 homes swept away
🔸10 people missing
🔸Around 150 more flooded downstream at Arughat
🔸6 bridges destroyed
🔸Army helicopters airlifting villagers to safety…

— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) October 11, 2026

Prime Minister Balendra Shah said six people had been rescued by helicopter. Several helicopters were deployed to search for those still missing. No deaths had been reported in the latest flooding.

Residents fled to higher ground after hearing a powerful rumble in the early hours of the morning. A villager identified as Sherap told local media that the sound was unlike anything he had heard before and reminded him of the Bhote Koshi floods. Some villagers were caught off guard while sleeping in hotels, he said.

Possible ice avalanche behind surge

Preliminary findings suggest an ice avalanche may have sent snow, mud and other debris into the river, triggering the surge. According to Nepal’s Hydrology Research Center, a landslide temporarily blocked a tributary at Tumje, in Chumanubri, before the natural dam broke, releasing a large volume of water and mud downstream.

Binod Parajuli, a hydrologist at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, told EFE that records showed no rainfall in the affected river’s upper reaches. “The flooding cannot be attributed to rainfall based on the available records,” he said.

After the surge was detected, authorities sent about 200,000 early-warning text messages urging immediate evacuation in several districts at risk of further collapses.

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.