Budhigandaki flood damages 204 homes, four hydropower projects; five missing

Flash floods in the Budhigandaki River have damaged 204 homes and four hydropower projects in Gorkha and Dhading districts, leaving five people missing and stranding over 150 tourists. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) reported extensive damage to infrastructure, including bridges and trekking routes, severely impacting local communities and the Manaslu trekking region.Of the 204 damaged houses, 43 are in Chum Nubri Rural Municipality, 39 in Dharchhe Rural Municipality, 64 in Arughat Rural Municipality of Gorkha, and 58 in Tripurasundari Rural Municipality of Dhading. The floods have displaced hundreds of families, many of whom are now sheltering with relatives or in community buildings.Tek Bahadur Adhikari, ward chair of Arughat Rural Municipality-3, Soti, stated that 20 households in his ward were affected. “Our houses are right on the Budhigandaki riverbank. Yesterday’s flood brought mud inside our homes,” Adhikari said. “The 2015 earthquake also shook this settlement, and yesterday’s flood made the ground tremble, making it impossible to sleep in such houses.”Sapana Gurung, a local from Soti Bazaar, whose house was swept away, is now staying with neighbours. “The flood also swept away the water pipe that brought water from Manbu across the Budhigandaki,” she said. “Helicopters fly overhead, but we haven’t received drinking water or relief. We are staying at a neighbour’s house after our home was washed away.”Vishal Ghale from Jagat, whose 48-bed hotel and house were destroyed, arrived in Kathmandu by army helicopter seeking refuge with relatives. “The flood swept away everything except the clothes I was wearing. Victims are now struggling for food and shelter,” he said.The floods have severely damaged roads and trekking paths, posing significant challenges for rescue and relief efforts. Nima Lama, chair of Chum Nubri Rural Municipality, said there was no alternative to helicopters for bringing in relief supplies. “After the cantilever bridge was swept away, the problem in Chum Valley became even greater. There is no trekking route to reach Philim,” he explained.Laxman Gurung, chair of Dharchhe Rural Municipality, reported that the flood deposited mud and cut off roads at Chepare Cliff. “We are working to clear the mud and trying to get vehicles to Machhakhola, the rural municipality’s centre, by any means necessary,” Gurung said. “Between Kholabensi and Tatopani, the Budhigandaki River itself is flowing on the trekking path. There is no way to go further up towards Chum Nubri.”Several bridges have been washed away, including the permanent bridge connecting Arughat in Gorkha and Dhading, the iron bridge at Soti connecting Arughat Rural Municipality-2 and 3, the suspension bridge connecting Machhakhola from Dharchhe Rural Municipality-5 to Kerauja, the old suspension bridge connecting Nyakchet and Sirdibas in Chum Nubri Rural Municipality-3, a bailey bridge connecting Dharchhe Rural Municipality-1 and 3, the bridge connecting Thado Bharyang and Jagat in Chum Nubri, and the suspension bridge connecting Ghattekhola and Philim in Chum Nubri. These damages have left many settlements completely cut off.The floods have also damaged four hydropower projects in Gorkha and Dhading. The main camp area and some construction equipment of the 341 MW Budhigandaki Hydropower Project were swept away. Significant damage was also reported at the 24.5 MW Dobhan Khola Project, the 30.59 MW Yaru Khola Project, and the 16 MW Machha Khola Project.Over 150 tourists are stranded after the Manaslu Conservation Area trekking route and suspension bridges were damaged. More than 100 foreign tourists are safe in Jagat, Chum Nubri Rural Municipality-3. Efforts are underway to arrange helicopter rescues for them. Additionally, 17 tourists are stranded in Lokpa, Chum Nubri-6, and 40 in the Chekampark area.The Manaslu Area Development Project (MCAP) is coordinating with local authorities and relevant government bodies to repair and reopen the damaged trekking routes. Tourists have been advised to postpone treks to the Tsum Valley. While the trekking route up to Sirdibas is accessible by helicopter, and further routes towards Larke Pass or Manaslu are safe, travel in the lower regions is discouraged.As of October 11, 2026, 49 people have been rescued and moved to safe locations, but five herders remain missing. The risk of further flooding has not completely subsided, as the Budhigandaki River is still obstructed.The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology’s Flood Forecasting Section’s preliminary technical analysis on October 12, 2026, suggests that the unusual flood in the Budhigandaki River might have been caused by a landslide in the Himalayan region, which blocked the river’s flow, accumulated water, and then suddenly released a large volume of water when the obstruction weakened or broke. This event has also led to one death in Madhesh Province.The NDRRMA has dispatched a three-member technical team with a drone to study the origin and cause of the flood. The detailed extent of the damage and the status of the five missing herders are yet to be fully determined. The Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN) stated that there have been no human casualties in the hydropower sector so far, but the financial damage is still being assessed.For more details on earlier coverage, please refer to: https://nmkhabar.com/budhigandaki-flood-missing-rescued-tourists/ and https://nmkhabar.com/budhigandaki-flood-gorkha-roads-blocked/.