Flash floods have swept away dozens of houses in central Nepal, leaving at least five people missing and damaging infrastructure, officials have said.
The flooding struck Gorkha district on Sunday, weeks after devastating floods and landslides killed hundreds of people and left thousands missing across the country.
Videos circulating online showed a dark, debris-filled river surging through the hills in the affected area.
National disaster agency chief Dharam Raj Uprety told AFP that a landslide had temporarily blocked a river before the accumulated water broke through and triggered the flood.
“What we know is that a dry landslide had blocked the river and then it burst to cause the flood,” Uprety said.
About 45 houses were swept away, while three hydropower projects and four bridges sustained damage.
The disaster agency said at least 82 people, including nine foreigners, had been rescued from the affected areas.
“Five people are unaccounted for,” Uprety said.
Authorities deployed four helicopters to support search, rescue and evacuation operations as water levels in the Budhi Gandaki River continued to rise.
Officials had earlier issued an alert urging residents to leave areas close to the river and move to safer locations.
Residents recount terrifying flooding
The latest disaster has heightened fears among residents still recovering from earlier floods and landslides.
Local official Laxmi Gurung, from Chumnubri rural municipality, described the latest flooding as frightening.
“The flood looked similar… It was very scary, and it still feels like a nightmare for us,” Gurung said.
“Our house is gone, we have no electricity… but there have been no casualties.”
Nepal is still grappling with the aftermath of severe flooding linked to a mountain glacial collapse on August 26. The disaster killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing, according to the report.
Heavy rainfall in late September also triggered floods and landslides that killed at least 21 people, the national disaster agency said.
The latest incident underscores the continuing threat of floods and landslides in Nepal, where intense rainfall and unstable mountain terrain can cause sudden and destructive surges of water.