Budhi Gandaki Flash Flood 2026

A landslide in the upper Gorkha district — near Chumchet, on a Budhi Gandaki tributary (early reports named it the Syar river; later Kathmandu Post coverage refers to it as the Ungeling/Ungilung river) — is believed to have blocked the channel on Saturday 10 October, with satellite imagery cited by Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology supporting the landslide-blockage theory. The blockage failed, sending a flash flood down the Budhi Gandaki valley early on 11 October. The flood hit Chumnubri and Dharche rural municipalities, sweeping away an estimated 35–40 houses and at least 4 bridges, including the main Aarughat bridge linking Gorkha and Dhading districts.

The 341MW Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project construction camp at Salleri was struck — equipment and structures swept away, and national disaster authorities say two further hydroelectric plants along the river were also damaged. The missing count was revised down over the course of 11 October, from an initial estimate of 10 to 4–5 people, all reported to have been in a shed on the riverbank in Chumchet. By 12 October, Reuters reported Nepal Army and police had rescued 96 people, including 9 foreign nationals, with search operations continuing and 5 villagers still out of contact. Communities along the river in Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan, and both Nawalparasi districts remain on alert.

The foot trail linking Jagat and Salleri was swept away, cutting the two villages off from each other and stranding more than 100 foreign trekkers on the Manaslu Circuit. Locally, Chumnubri's chief administrative officer reports 25 houses in Jagat cut off from outside access and 9 houses swept away — those residents are confirmed safe. Roads on both sides of Jagat (towards Kalebhir below, and Salleri above) have been washed out.

No deaths had been confirmed as of the most recent reporting we could find (12 October) — the missing remain unaccounted for, not confirmed dead. Some residents have raised the possibility of an avalanche from nearby Mount Shringi as an alternative or contributing cause; officials call this unconfirmed and say every explanation is still preliminary. We found no official update published after 12 October — treat the figures below as the latest confirmed, not necessarily current.

This is a separate disaster from the Bhotekoshi GLOF of 26 August 2026. The Budhi Gandaki drains the Gorkha Himalaya and flows south into the Trishuli River — a different watershed entirely.