More than 100 foreign trekkers stranded in Nepal after Gorkha floods

More than 100 foreign trekkers are stranded in Nepal’s Gorkha district after a weekend landslide blocked the Budhi Gandaki River and caused flooding that swept away hiking trails and bridges, an official said on Monday.

Authorities have rescued 321 people, including 12 foreigners.

Why are foreign trekkers stranded in Nepal?

Trekkers cannot return because part of the trail was swept away. A pre-dawn landslide at the weekend blocked the Budhi Gandaki River, and flooding downstream washed away hiking trails and bridges. Bhuwan Raj Ojha, an official of the Manaslu Conservation Area Project, said the trekkers are stranded in different areas.

The project includes a popular trekking route. Ojha said the more than 100 foreign trekkers could not return because part of the trail had been swept away.

“Those hikers who want to return because of the flood need to be rescued. Those who want to continue their trekking can do so from locations that are safe,” Ojha told Reuters from Gorkha.

“There are restaurants and tea houses along the route. They are safe.”

How many people have been rescued after the Gorkha flood?

Authorities rescued 321 people, including 12 foreigners, on Monday after the pre-dawn landslide in Gorkha district, about 100 km (62 miles) west of Kathmandu. The landslide blocked the river and led to downstream flooding. The army said the rescue operation would continue on Tuesday, even as the water level in the river had receded.

There were no reports of fatalities in the flood, but five villagers were out of contact, national disaster authorities said. Black muddy sludge and debris washed away homes and damaged infrastructure, including three hydroelectric plants.

What caused the flood in Gorkha?

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said the latest flood may have been triggered by the failure of a temporary river blockage created by a landslide. It based this on preliminary accounts from Nepal’s authorities that it reviewed.

The Budhi Gandaki is a tributary of the Trishuli River, downstream from another tributary where a glacier collapse caused a catastrophic flood in August. That flood killed 1,457 people, with thousands still missing.

“This event is another reminder of how exposed mountain communities and river corridors remain to sudden, cascading hazards,” Pema Gyamtsho, director general of ICIMOD, said.

“While response efforts must remain the immediate priority, understanding what triggered this flood will be critical for reducing future risks and strengthening resilience.”