Devastating Flash Floods Ravage Nepal’s Manaslu Region, Ten Still Missing

In the early hours of Sunday, just before dawn, the Budhi Gandaki River in the remote Chumnubri area of the Manaslu region swelled beyond imagination. Around 4 a.m., a sudden surge of water and mud ripped through the valley, turning a peaceful mountain stream into a raging torrent.

The flash flood didn’t just wash away mud – it literally swept away almost 40 houses, six suspension bridges and bits of a hydropower project that locals rely on. A primary school, some power lines and a communication tower also took a hit, leaving the community looking for any sign of normalcy.

Authorities suspect that a landslide temporarily blocked a tributary, causing water to pile up behind it. When the blockage finally gave way, the deluge rushed downstream. Still, officials haven’t been able to confirm the exact trigger – the mountains keep many secrets.

As the waters receded, the human toll began to surface. Ten people are now unaccounted for, their families clinging to hope. Rescue teams, including the Nepalese Army, have been racing against time, air‑lifting 49 individuals out of the most hard‑hit spots using helicopters and ground crews.

The disaster has also thrown a massive wrench into the Manaslu trekking circuit, which is supposed to be buzzing with tourists this autumn. More than 100 foreign visitors found themselves stuck at Jagat, a key gateway to the trail. Another 17 were marooned at Lokpa, and roughly 40 trekkers were stranded in the Chhekampar area of the Chum Valley.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) officials sent out nearly 200,000 SMS alerts in two rounds, urging people to move away from riverbanks and vulnerable settlements. Warnings also went out to districts farther downstream – Dhading, Tanahun, Chitwan and the Nawalparasi districts – where the Trishuli and Narayani rivers could swell.

At Arughat, the Budhi Gandaki River rose to a staggering 8.4 metres, far above its danger level of five metres. The force was enough to sweep away the very monitoring station that tracks water levels, leaving a gap in real‑time data.

“We can’t rule out another upstream blockage yet,” said Dharmaraj Uprety, chief executive of NDRRMA. “But we don’t know if the river is blocked again or if the danger has passed.” His words capture the lingering uncertainty that hangs over the valley.

This calamity arrives barely 45 days after the massive floods on the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, which claimed more than 1,450 lives and left thousands missing. The succession of disasters has reignited worries about the vulnerability of Nepal’s mountainous communities, where landslides, sudden river surges and broken transport links can quickly turn rescue missions into logistical nightmares.

For now, the focus remains on finding the missing, rebuilding what’s been lost and getting the stranded tourists back on solid ground. The resilient spirit of the Nepali people shines through, even as the mountains remind us how fragile life can be.