Central Nepal has been struck by destructive flash floods that swept away residential buildings and left at least five individuals unaccounted for, according to local authorities. The disaster comes just weeks after catastrophic flooding claimed hundreds of lives across the country.

Officials reported that a landslide in the village of Chumnubri within the Gorkha district, situated roughly 100 kilometers west of Kathmandu, blocked the Budhi Gandaki River on Saturday. This obstruction triggered severe downstream flooding. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) stated that two women and three men are currently missing. The calamity reportedly destroyed around a dozen houses, two suspension bridges, and damaged a hydroelectric project camp, washing away heavy construction equipment. NDRRMA Chief Executive Dharam Raj Uprety noted that a muddy torrent also obliterated a highway bridge connecting Gorkha with the neighboring Dhading district.

In response to the unfolding emergency, disaster management authorities issued urgent evacuation alerts for residents living along riverbanks in several districts. Military and police rescue teams have been deployed to the affected zone, utilizing helicopters to monitor the situation and assist with ongoing rescue operations.

Source: www.aljazeera.com