Rescue teams in Nepal were searching Monday for at least five people missing after a flash flood tore down the Budhi Gandaki River in Gorkha district, sweeping away houses and cutting roads through the mountainous Manaslu region.
Officials with the national disaster agency said a dry landslide appears to have blocked the river before the barrier burst, sending a surge of water and debris downstream early Sunday. The flood swept away some 45 houses and damaged three hydropower projects and four bridges, according to the agency.
At least 82 people, including nine foreign nationals, had been rescued from affected areas, the agency said, and four helicopters were deployed alongside army, police and armed police personnel. October is peak trekking season on the Manaslu circuit, and local conservation officials reported more than 100 foreign tourists stranded around Jagat, the gateway to the protected area.
Authorities urged residents along the riverbanks to move to safer ground and avoid damaged bridges as water levels remained high. The disaster comes while Nepal is still recovering from devastating flooding in August, and officials say the full extent of the damage is still being assessed in villages where roads are cut and phone coverage is poor.
