WorldPosted at: Oct 11 2026 1:42PM


Flash floods sweep away homes, bridges in Nepal's Gorkha; five missing

Kathmandu, Oct 11 (UNI) Flash floods swept away houses and bridges in Nepal's northern Gorkha district early Sunday, forcing residents and tourists to flee to safety, while five people were reported missing and six others were rescued by air, local media reported.
The flooding occurred along the Budhi Gandaki river in Chumnubri Rural Municipality, with a landslide suspected of blocking a tributary before water surged downstream. Authorities launched rescue and relief operations as the river continued to pose a threat to settlements along its course.
Ram Kumar Gurung, ward chair of Chumnubri Rural Municipality-3, said the flood swept away houses in Salleri and Paiyuka and inundated areas around Jagat.
“The flood came early in the morning, and we could not even take out our belongings. Everyone fled as soon as we heard the flood was coming,” Gurung was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post.
The flood also destroyed suspension bridges connecting settlements in the district, disrupting local access and transport. Nepal's Home Minister Sudan Gurung said the bridge linking Nyakchet and Philim bazaar in Chumnubri-3 had been swept away.
Helicopters have been deployed for rescue operations, relief distribution and evacuations as water levels continued to rise, the minister said.
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology's Flood Forecasting Section said a landslide may have blocked a tributary of the Budhi Gandaki river, causing water to accumulate before being released suddenly.
Binod Parajuli, a hydrologist at the section, said satellite images showed a large landslide near Chumchet in Chumnubri Rural Municipality, Gorkha district, which is believed to have occurred on Saturday.
“We are examining satellite images. A large landslide is visible around Chumchet. It appears to have occurred yesterday. The flooding may have been triggered when a blocked tributary of the Budhi Gandaki suddenly released water,” Parajuli said.
Meanwhile, Gorkha’s chief district officer Dharmendra Kumar Mishra also said that the preliminary reports indicated that a landslide had occurred above Siuribas. Nepal Police said the flooding followed a landslide that blocked the river between Lokpa and Chumling in Chumnubri Rural Municipality-6.
Nepal Home Minister Sudan Gurung stated that the flood had swept away the bridge linking Nyakchet and Philim bazaar in Chumnubri-3. He further added that, "With the river continuing to rise, helicopters had been deployed for rescue operations, relief distributions and evacuations."
Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and local authorities were mobilised to carry out rescue and relief operations.
According to The Kathmandu Post, an old suspension footbridge connecting Nyakchet and Sirdibas in Chumnubri-3 was swept away.
Another suspension footbridge connecting Machhakhola in Dharche Rural Municipality-5 with Kerauja was also swept away. Water entered five to seven houses and a similar number of sheds in the lower settlement of Machhakhola, police said.
Sherap Gurung, a resident of Chumchet who also runs a hotel in Lokpa, said he heard a loud rumbling sound at around 4 a.m. on Sunday while sleeping. Tourists staying at his hotel were preparing to travel to Chum Valley.
“I had never heard anything like it before. I immediately thought a flood was coming,” he said.
“I have never seen a flood like this. There was a flood in this river 25 or 30 years ago, people say, but it was nothing like this. We never expected such a devastating flood,” he added.
Nepal Police said 20 to 22 houses in Salleri, Dharche-3, were at risk. The steel bridge at Soti, connecting wards 2 and 3 of Aarughat Rural Municipality, was also swept away.
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology warned of a very high risk of flooding along the Benighat river, with the threat extending downstream along the Trishuli river corridor.
Residents living along riverbanks around Mugling and farther downstream in Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts were urged to remain alert.
Home Minister Sudan Gurung asked people requiring emergency assistance to contact the Home Ministry's hotline at 1234.
UNI ATP AAB
Tags: #Flash floods sweep away homes# bridges in Nepal's Gorkha; five missing
More News

Trump floats renaming Atlantic or Pacific Ocean ‘Trump Ocean’

11 Oct 2026 | 6:41 PM

Washington, Oct 11 (UNI) US President Donald Trump floated the idea of renaming either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean “Trump Ocean” or “Ocean of the Americas”, extending his efforts to attach new names to major geographical landmarks after renaming the Gulf of Mexico and proposing a new name for Lake Ontario.

see more..

Trump’s Russian Diesel deal draws Bipartisan fire as Republicans challenge Ukraine remarks

11 Oct 2026 | 5:46 PM

Washington, Oct 11 (UNI) President Donald Trump’s plan to allow Russian diesel supplies into the United States and global markets has drawn criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, exposing divisions within his party over easing pressure on Moscow as the administration grapples with rising fuel costs linked to the Iran war.

see more..

Trump calls for Zelenskyy’s exit, blames Ukraine strikes for Diesel price surge

11 Oct 2026 | 5:10 PM

Washington, Oct 11 (UNI) US President Donald Trump called for Ukraine to get a new president, accusing Volodymyr Zelenskyy of failing to secure a peace deal with Russia, as the two leaders clashed over a new US-Russia agreement to supply diesel to global markets.

see more..

Flash floods sweep away homes, bridges in Nepal's Gorkha; five missing

11 Oct 2026 | 1:42 PM

Kathmandu, Oct 11 (UNI) Flash floods swept away houses and bridges in Nepal's northern Gorkha district early Sunday, forcing residents and tourists to flee to safety, while five people were reported missing and six others were rescued by air, local media reported.

see more..

Trump says US may join Saudi strikes on Houthis after Riyadh airport attack

11 Oct 2026 | 1:18 PM

Riyadh, Oct 11 (UNI) A Saudi-led military coalition has vowed a "firm response" to a Houthi attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport that killed 12 people and injured 309, as US President Donald Trump said Washington may consider joining Saudi strikes against the Iran-backed militia.
The attack on a passenger terminal on Saturday amounts to "war crime under international humanitarian law," Major General Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

see more..