A flash flood hit Nepal's Budhi Gandaki corridor, damaging bridges, roads, power and telecommunications.
Why it matters: The flood disrupted transport and communications in a remote mountain corridor and damaged the under-construction Budhi Gandaki hydropower project. Authorities issued downstream warnings and moved residents to safer locations, but casualty and damage figures remain preliminary.
- Five people were reported missing in Chumchet on October 11, 2026.
- The Kathmandu Post estimated that 35 to 40 houses were swept away in several settlements.
- Radio Nepal reported that 47 people had been transported by helicopter as of October 11; the Kathmandu Post separately reported six early rescues from Jagat.
- Radio Nepal reported damage to bridges, roads, electric poles, telephone towers and the under-construction 341-megawatt Budhi Gandaki hydropower project.
A flash flood swept through the Budhi Gandaki River corridor in central Nepal's Gorkha district early on October 11, 2026, affecting Chumnubri and Dharche rural municipalities.
Five people were reported missing in Chumchet. The Kathmandu Post's initial report estimated that 35 to 40 houses were swept away in Jagat Bagar, Salleri and Ghattikhola. Several suspension and motorable bridges were destroyed, cutting crossings between settlements including Nyakchet and Sirdibas, Machhakhola and Kerauja, and Gorkha and Dhading.
Radio Nepal reported damage to roads, hydropower facilities, electric poles and telephone towers, including the under-construction 341-megawatt Budhi Gandaki hydropower project. It also reported that 437 personnel were mobilized for the response.
Officials suspected a landslide between Lokpa and Chumling, or near Chumchet, temporarily blocked the river or a tributary before water and debris surged downstream. The blockage's location, mechanism and scale remained unconfirmed.
The river level at Arughat reached approximately 8.3 to 8.43 meters, compared with a danger level near 5 meters. NDRRMA chief executive Dharmaraj Uprety said officials received information about the flood at about 6:20 a.m. and sent SMS warnings to downstream communities roughly 20 minutes later. Warnings covered Gorkha, Dhading and Benighat in Chitwan, with additional vigilance urged along the Trishuli corridor.
Authorities moved residents to safer locations and used four Nepal Army helicopters for search, rescue and evacuation. Radio Nepal said 47 people had been transported by helicopter as of October 11, while the Kathmandu Post reported six early rescues from Jagat. Those figures come from different reports and may cover different groups; the reports do not establish whether they overlap.
The United Nations in Nepal said hundreds of households and livelihoods were affected and that it was supporting assessments, drone mapping, satellite analysis and relief deliveries. That is a preliminary impact estimate, separate from the specific infrastructure damage reported by Radio Nepal. No final death toll or consolidated damage estimate was available.
By the numbers
- 8.3-8.43 meters - river level recorded at Arughat, versus a danger level near 5 meters
- 47 people - transported by helicopter as of October 11, according to Radio Nepal
- 341 megawatts - capacity of the Budhi Gandaki hydropower project reported damaged
Yes, but: Officials had not confirmed the suspected landslide's location or mechanism, and the reported house losses, affected households and infrastructure damage remain subject to assessment.
What's next: The Nepal Army is continuing search, rescue and evacuation operations, while the United Nations is supporting damage assessments, drone mapping and satellite analysis. No date for an initial consolidated update was available.