According to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, two women and three men were reported out of contact following the incident. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The landslide occurred in Chumnubri village in Gorkha district, approximately 100 kilometres west of Kathmandu. It blocked the Budhi Gandaki River, causing floodwaters to surge downstream and threaten communities along the riverbanks.
The Nepalese army said 49 people, including a foreign national whose identity was not disclosed, had been rescued from the affected area.
The flooding swept away around a dozen houses and two suspension bridges, while a camp belonging to a hydroelectric project was damaged. Some construction equipment was also carried away by the floodwaters, disaster management officials said.
The rising river, carrying muddy sludge and debris, also washed away a highway bridge connecting Gorkha district with neighbouring Dhading district, further disrupting transportation and access to affected communities.
Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, the senior administrative official in Gorkha district, said authorities had instructed residents living downstream to leave the riverbanks and move to safer places.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority issued warnings for people living along the river in Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan, East Nawalparasi and West Nawalparasi districts. Officials urged local authorities and residents to support timely evacuations and rescue operations.
Army and police personnel have reached the affected area to assist with search and rescue efforts. Authorities are also monitoring the situation from a helicopter as concerns grow over further flooding and potential risks to downstream communities.
The latest incident has renewed concerns about Nepal’s vulnerability to landslides, flash floods and other natural disasters, particularly in mountainous regions where rivers can become blocked by falling earth and debris.
The Budhi Gandaki is a tributary of the Trishuli River. The region remains sensitive to sudden flooding, following a catastrophic flood in August triggered by a glacier collapse in another tributary, which reportedly killed 1,457 people and left thousands missing.
Authorities continue to monitor river levels and have called on residents in vulnerable areas to follow evacuation instructions as search and rescue operations proceed.
