|
A total of 36 people have been rescued so far in the Nepal Army's counteraction following the flooding along the Budhi Gandaki River basin in Gorkha District.
According to the Nepali Army, the 36 rescued include one foreigner. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said that at least five people remain missing after a massive landslide blocked the Budhigandaki River between Lokpa and Chhumling in Nepal's Gorkha district on Sunday morning, triggering severe debris-laden flooding that swept away critical infrastructure and homes. According to the official update, the five missing individuals, two women and three men, were staying at a local sheep shed in the Ujjilud area of Chumnubri Rural Municipality-6 when the disaster struck. The destructive flood surge swept through multiple settlements along the Budhigandaki riverbed, destroying vital transportation and energy infrastructure across the region. Among the major structural losses, the surge washed away a section of the concrete bridge connecting Gorkhas Arughat to Dhading. Multiple suspension bridges, including the structure connecting Nyakchetat to Sirdibas and the Machhikhola-Kerauja footbridge, were destroyed alongside an iron concrete bridge at Sotima. Energy and industrial installations suffered severe damage as well, as floodwaters swept away the main camp area and equipment belonging to the 381-Megawatt Budhigandaki Project. Additionally, two telephone towers and 50 electricity poles were damaged, while floodwaters inundated lower Machhikhola, leaving 20 to 22 homes at immediate risk. In response to the growing crisis, the NDRRMA mobilised 437 security personnel across the affected region, drawing from the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force. Four Nepali Army helicopters deployed for search and rescue operations have successfully evacuated 47 individuals from high-risk zones. Authorities have also dispatched a specialised team including geologists and drones to investigate the landslide cause, alongside officials studying the feasibility of installing emergency Bailey bridges. Disaster management officials issued an urgent advisory warning residents along the Budhigandaki riverbanks to move to safe locations away from riverbeds, avoid travelling across damaged bridges or roads, and strictly follow instructions from local security agencies. Following the incident, Prime Minister Balen Shah said a Nepali Army contingent had been deployed by air and land to conduct search and rescue operations. He added that helicopters had been mobilised to support rescue, relief and evacuation efforts in the Budhi Gandaki flood-affected region. A Joint Rapid Response Team from Kathmandu has also been airlifted to the area to assist with the response. An hour later, the Nepal Army announced that six people had been evacuated to safer areas from the flood-affected region, which lies about 184 kilometres from the capital, Kathmandu. Taking to social media, Home Minister Sudan Gurung warned of another severe flood in Nepal following a surge in the Budhi Gandaki River in Gorkha on Sunday morning. He added that helicopters had been deployed immediately after the incident, while the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and local administration had been mobilised to carry out rescue and relief operations and move people to safety. The Home Minister urged residents of Sirdibas, Jagat, Salleri, Khorlabesi, Machhakhola, Soti, Arkhet and Arughat, particularly those living along the banks of the Budhi Gandaki River, to relocate to safer areas without delay and remain on high alert.(ANI)
|
