KATHMANDU: A sudden surge in the Budhi Gandaki River has swept away three bridges and flooded several settlements in Gorkha following a landslide that temporarily blocked the river.

The flooding occurred on Sunday morning after a landslide blocked the Budhi Gandaki River between Lokpa and Chumling in Chumanubri Rural Municipality-6. The blockage triggered a sudden release of water, sending a powerful surge downstream and damaging infrastructure and houses in several areas.

According to police, an old suspension bridge linking Nyakchet and Sirdibas in Chumanubri Rural Municipality-3 was swept away by the flood.

Another suspension bridge connecting Kerauja with Machhakhola in Dharche Rural Municipality-5 was also destroyed.

The flood further damaged an iron-and-concrete bridge at Soti in Arughat Rural Municipality. The bridge had provided a connection between wards 2 and 3 of the rural municipality.

The sudden flooding also caused damage to residential areas. Police said the mud house belonging to Ram Bahadur Gurung of Sirdibas, Chumanubri-3, was swept away, while another house in the area was inundated.

In Dharche Rural Municipality-5, the lower settlement of Machhakhola was also affected by the rising water. Around five to seven houses and a similar number of temporary huts were reportedly inundated.

Authorities are assessing the extent of the damage, while local residents remain concerned about further flooding and disruption of transportation links along the Budhi Gandaki corridor.