Gorkha Flood Rescues Reach 648 as Nepal Restores Power to Thousands

A flood that struck Nepal's Budhi Gandaki River before dawn on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, has knocked out electricity to thousands of households in Gorkha District and driven a rescue operation that had reached 648 people by Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, according to two Nepali news outlets and a government ministry.

The flood washed away the Sirdibas Uhiya Micro Hydropower Project in Jagat, Ward 3 of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, after floodwaters originating near the Ungilung Khola swept through, the Nepali outlet Onlinekhabar reported. Sujan Gurung, the hydropower project's chairperson, said 971 households had lost power, and that the flood swept away 12 electricity poles, a tower and the wires, though the powerhouse itself was undamaged. "There has been no electricity in this area since the flood hit at around 4am on Sunday," Gurung said. Fifteen villages in the area, including Jagat, have been without power since, Gurung said.

Flooding also knocked out power to about 4,000 households across all seven wards of neighboring Dharche Rural Municipality, after floodwaters damaged a Nepal Electricity Authority distribution center in Arughat, Dharche's chief administrative officer, Buddhi Ram Basnet, told Onlinekhabar.

Nepal's Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has restored electricity to all flood-affected areas except Dharche, where repair crews began work on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, after floods along the Budhi Gandaki River and its tributary, the Shyar Khola, cut power lines, Nepal's state-owned Rising Nepal newspaper reported, citing the ministry. Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha said power had already been restored to six communities, including Arughat Bazaar, "within around 10 hours." More than 70 high-voltage poles were damaged in Dharche, the ministry said. The floods also damaged four hydropower projects under construction in Gorkha and Dhading districts, including the 341-megawatt Budhigandaki project. The ministry's list of restored areas did not include Chumnubri, where the destroyed Sirdibas Uhiya plant supplied its own local power rather than drawing on the lines national crews have been repairing elsewhere.

By Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, 648 people, including 49 foreign tourists, had been rescued from Budhi Gandaki flood zones in Gorkha since the flood struck Sunday, a separate Onlinekhabar report said, citing Netra Prasad Sharma, the district's assistant chief district officer. Sharma said the remaining 599 evacuees were Nepali nationals stranded after the flood damaged trekking trails and bridges connecting northern Gorkha with the rest of the district. He said 96 people were rescued Sunday; 321 on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026; 186 on Tuesday; and 45 more by Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. Nepal's Army has used helicopters for the rescues and to fly in relief supplies, including food, tents, mats, pillows, blankets, tarpaulins, solar equipment and generators, on their return flights, Onlinekhabar reported.

Kumari Gurung, Chumnubri's former vice-chairperson, said there had been no deaths from the disruption to travel between villages. "Fortunately, there has been no loss of human life," she said.