Budhi Gandaki floods sweep away dozens of houses in Nepal's Gorkha district
Synopsis
A sudden flood in Nepal's Budhi Gandaki River has swept away dozens of houses, suspension bridges, and the camp of a 341-MW hydropower project in Gorkha district. Authorities suspect a landslide may have dammed a tributary, mirroring the catastrophic August Bhote Koshi floods that killed 1,455 people — but the cause is not yet confirmed and no casualties have been reported so far.
Key Takeaways
Flooding in the Budhi Gandaki River swept away dozens of houses in Jagat and Salleri villages, Gorkha district , on 11 October .
The camp of the 341-MW Budhi Hydroelectric Project was also reportedly swept away.
Suspension bridges and a steel bridge were damaged, according to local media reports.
A possible landslide blocking the Syar Khola tributary is suspected as the trigger — but has not been confirmed.
The NDRRMA has warned residents along the river to evacuate, with water levels above the danger mark.
Nepal's August 2026 Bhote Koshi and Trishuli floods killed 1,455 people , with 5,285 still missing.
Massive flooding in the Budhi Gandaki River in Nepal's Gorkha district swept away dozens of houses, suspension bridges, a steel bridge, and a hydropower construction camp on Sunday, 11 October, according to a senior district official. No casualties had been reported as of Sunday morning, though the full scale of the disaster was still being assessed.
What Was Damaged
Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, Chief District Officer at the District Administration Office in Gorkha, confirmed that houses in Jagat and Salleri villages in Chumnubri Rural Municipality — which borders China — had been swept away. The camp of the 341-MW Budhi Hydroelectric Project was also reported to have been inundated and damaged. 'We are collecting details about the damage caused by the floods,' Mishra said. 'Some houses in Jagat and Salleri villages in Chumnubri Rural Municipality, as well as the camp of the 341-MW Budhi Hydroelectric Project, were swept away by the floodwaters.'
Possible Cause Under Investigation
Initial estimates suggest the flooding may have been triggered by a landslide between Lokpa and Chumling in Ward No. 6 of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, which may have temporarily blocked the Syar Khola, a tributary of the Budhi Gandaki River. This, however, has not been confirmed. The exact cause of the flooding and the full extent of the damage have yet to be established, according to officials.
Parallels With August's Bhote Koshi Disaster
Laxmi Gurung, Vice-Chairperson of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, described the Budhi Gandaki flooding as resembling the devastating inundation that struck the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa district on 26 August. 'The Budhi Gandaki flood is reminiscent of the Bhotekoshi flood. Dozens of houses have been swept away. It is too early to determine the exact extent of the damage,' she said. The August floods in the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river areas claimed 1,455 lives, with 5,285 people still missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
Evacuation Warning Issued
The NDRRMA urged residents living along the Budhi Gandaki River to immediately move to safer locations, warning that water levels had risen above the danger mark. This comes amid a broader pattern of increasingly severe monsoon flooding across Nepal's river corridors — the Budhi Gandaki incident is the latest in a series of flash floods that have battered Himalayan river valleys this season. The 341-MW Budhi Hydroelectric Project, a significant national infrastructure asset, faces additional scrutiny given damage to its construction camp.
What Comes Next
District authorities are working to assess the full extent of damage and establish whether the suspected landslide dam is the confirmed trigger. Search and rescue teams were being mobilised, and a comprehensive damage report was expected in the coming days. The incident renews focus on Nepal's vulnerability to glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and landslide-triggered flash floods, particularly in border districts adjoining China where early warning infrastructure remains limited.
Point of View
Not a seasonal footnote. The Budhi Gandaki incident follows the catastrophic August floods almost exactly on script — swift-onset flash flood, suspected landslide trigger, remote border district with thin monitoring infrastructure. What is striking is that the 341-MW Budhi Hydroelectric Project, a nationally significant asset, had its camp swept away, raising urgent questions about how flood risk assessments are integrated into hydropower site planning in the Himalayas. With 1,455 dead and 5,285 still missing from August alone, the casualty arithmetic of Nepal's flood season demands a policy response that goes beyond post-disaster relief.
NationPress
11 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Budhi Gandaki River flood in Nepal?
Massive flooding in the Budhi Gandaki River in Nepal's Gorkha district swept away dozens of houses, suspension bridges, a steel bridge, and the construction camp of the 341-MW Budhi Hydroelectric Project on 11 October. No casualties had been reported as of Sunday morning, though damage assessment was still ongoing.
What caused the Budhi Gandaki flood in Gorkha?
The exact cause has not been confirmed. Initial estimates suggest a landslide between Lokpa and Chumling in Ward No. 6 of Chumnubri Rural Municipality may have blocked the Syar Khola, a tributary of the Budhi Gandaki River, triggering the flood. Authorities are still investigating.
Was anyone killed in the Gorkha flood on 11 October?
No casualties had been reported as of Sunday morning, according to Chief District Officer Dharmendra Kumar Mishra. However, the full extent of the disaster had not yet been established, and damage assessment was continuing.
How does this compare to Nepal's August 2026 floods?
Officials and local leaders drew direct comparisons to the devastating Bhote Koshi River flood in Rasuwa district on 26 August. Nepal's August floods across the Rasuwa and Trishuli river areas killed 1,455 people and left 5,285 missing, according to the NDRRMA.
What is the NDRRMA warning people to do?
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) has urged all residents living along the Budhi Gandaki River to immediately move to safer locations, warning that water levels have risen above the danger mark.
