- Flash flood devastated Manaslu region, destroying houses and bridges.
- Ten people missing, 150 tourists stranded; army rescued 49.
- Landslide suspected cause; alerts issued to downstream areas.
A pre-dawn flash flood in Nepal’s Manaslu trekking region on Sunday swept away nearly 40 houses, six bridges and infrastructure linked to a hydropower project. Up to 10 people are missing, while more than 150 foreign tourists have been stranded in the region. Early SMS warnings helped residents move to higher ground, and the Army rescued 49 people.
The flood struck around 4 am along the Budhi Gandaki river in Chumnubri, about 100 km west of Kathmandu. Authorities ordered evacuations and issued alerts to downstream districts, warning residents near the Trishuli and Narayani rivers to stay away from riverbanks.
The disaster occurred barely 45 days after catastrophic flooding along the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli river system killed more than 1,450 people and left 5,250 missing.
Landslide Suspected Behind Flash Flood
Authorities suspect a landslide temporarily blocked a tributary, allowing water and debris to accumulate before the obstruction gave way. However, officials had yet to establish the exact cause of the flood.
Five people, including two women and three men staying near the Ungilung river, remained missing. Separately, four to five herders were also out of contact. The flooding destroyed around 35 to 40 houses and a primary school, while another 20 to 22 houses were considered at risk.
Six bridges were swept away or damaged, cutting off remote settlements. The flood also destroyed the construction camp and equipment of the under-construction 341 MW Budhi Gandaki hydropower project at Salleri.
At Arughat, the Budhi Gandaki river rose to 8.4 metres, well above its danger level of 5 metres. Floodwaters later swept away the monitoring station, disrupting water-level readings.
The Soti Khola bridge has been completely swept away in Gorkha district, Nepal by the devastating Budhi Gandaki River flood today, October 11, 2026. https://t.co/mg2UeJyuDp
— Ananda Nepali (@anandanepali99) October 11, 2026
Authorities Issue Alerts Across Downstream Districts
Authorities issued evacuation alerts across Dhading, Tanahun, Chitwan and East and West Nawalparasi. Residents living near the Trishuli and Narayani rivers were warned to keep away from riverbanks amid fears of further flooding.
Dharmaraj Uprety, chief executive of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, said officials could not rule out another blockage upstream.
“However, we cannot yet say whether the river has been blocked again upstream or whether the danger has passed,” Uprety said.
He said authorities received information about the flood at 6.20 am and sent the first SMS warnings at 6.40 am. Nearly two lakh alerts were issued in two rounds, urging residents to move away from riverbanks and vulnerable settlements.
Foreign Tourists Stranded
The flood disrupted the popular Manaslu trekking circuit during Nepal’s peak autumn tourist season, damaging trails and suspension bridges. More than 100 foreign tourists were stranded at Jagat, a key entry point to the trekking region, while 17 were stuck at Lokpa and another 40 at Chhekampar in Chum Valley.
Bhuvanraj Ojha, conservation officer with the Manaslu Conservation Area Project, told The Times of India that the tourists were safe and authorities were arranging helicopter evacuations.
