Flash flood in Nepal's Gorkha district sweeps away homes, bridges, leaves 10 missing

A flash flood triggered by a rapid rise in the Budhi Gandaki River devastated the Gorkha district’s northern settlements, flattening homes and collapsing multiple bridges. Video from the scene captures floodwaters tearing through Salleri Bazaar, damaging Jagat Bazaar and carrying away the Soti Khola Bridge, while other bridges at Arughat, Tripurasundari and Soti-Manbu were also lost. Preliminary counts indicate roughly 35 houses were swept away in Painyu and Bagar, and six bridges—including a Bailey bridge linking Dharche wards—were destroyed, disrupting local connectivity.

Authorities have reported at least 10 people missing since the surge on Sunday. The Nepali Army, supported by helicopters and a rapid response team from Kathmandu, is conducting search-and-rescue missions, and the Home Minister has urged riverside residents to relocate. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority also called for heightened vigilance as the cause of the flood remains under investigation.