Rescuers reach flood-hit villages near Kathmandu as five people remain missing
Nepalese military personnel reached flooded communities near Kathmandu on Monday following weekend flash flooding. Rescuers evacuated residents and tourists, but at least five people remain missing across the region.
Helicopters and soldiers brought food and relief supplies to settlements along the Budhi Gandaki River in north-central Nepal. No deaths have been reported so far. Officials have not established the total number of affected villages.
A Sunday landslide blocked the river near Chumchure village and triggered the surge. The government said an early warning allowed most people to reach higher ground in time.
The floodwaters destroyed or damaged several sites across the region:
- Five bridges
- Construction sites for three hydropower plants
- Dozens of houses and farms
Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, chief government administrator for Gorkha district, said teams evacuated more than 200 people on Monday.
High winds halted helicopter flights in the afternoon. Mishra said flights will resume Tuesday to deliver relief supplies. He added that extensive road damage requires helicopters to continue supplying cut-off communities.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said earlier Monday that those rescued included nine foreigners. The agency said workers moved them to nearby towns. Trucks carried food, tents, and medicine to communities reachable by road.
Chinese tourist Weiwei Zhao was among those rescued. She had been trekking with a friend and turned back because of heavy snowfall.
“In the morning time we heard a very loud earthquake like voice (sound) but later we know that what happened in front of our path,” Zhao said.
Videos on social media showed houses and sheds sweeping away down the river. The Budhi Gandaki flows into the Trishuli River and serves as a major waterway near Kathmandu. October is a peak month for visitors along these mountain trekking routes.
The country is recovering from August floods in the Nepal-China border region. That disaster left more than 1,400 people dead and thousands missing. Prime Minister Balendra Shah‘s office announced an end to those search operations on Oct. 5.
Government disaster teams use military aircraft and land vehicles to distribute emergency aid after sudden river surges. Damaged mountain roads routinely complicate aid transport following major landslides.
Army helicopters will continue supply flights to isolated settlements outside Kathmandu.
