Villagers flee as flash flood ravages Nepal’s Budhi Gandaki River

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Residents along Nepal’s Budhi Gandaki River were evacuated on Sunday after a sudden flash flood swept away homes and other structures, prompting authorities to warn people living along the riverbanks to move to safer areas.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority ordered evacuations and urged residents to remain on high alert through Sunday night. No casualties had been reported immediately after the incident.

Videos shared on social media showed houses and sheds being swept away by the swollen river flowing through the mountainous region. The full extent of the damage and the number of affected villages remain unclear, although evacuation warnings were issued in Arughat, a riverside town along a major highway connecting Kathmandu with other parts of the country.

Disaster management officials are investigating the cause of the flooding along the Budhi Gandaki, a major waterway near Kathmandu that eventually joins the Trishuli River.

The incident comes as Nepal continues to recover from devastating floods in August near its mountainous border with China. The disaster killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands missing.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s office announced on Monday that search and rescue operations for additional victims of the August floods had ended. Authorities are now focusing on recovery, including rebuilding damaged roads and bridges that have disrupted aid deliveries, particularly in remote areas.

The government estimates that reconstruction following the August floods will cost $4.77 billion. Nearly 33,000 people were affected, while around 7,500 homes were damaged or destroyed.