On October 11, 2026, a flash flood carrying silt and gravel struck the Budhigandaki River in Chumnubri Rural Municipality, Gorkha, Nepal. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority warned that the flood could cause damage to downstream locations including Sirdibas, Jagat, Yari, Tatopani, Machhikhola, Soti, Aarukhet, and Arughat. As Dharmaraj Upreti noted, "The flood could cause damage as far as Sirdibas, Jagat, Yari, Tatopani, Machhikhola, Soti, Aarukhet and Arughat."
Flood expert Binod Parajuli stated that the flood is expected to take about three hours to reach Arughat. In response, authorities sent SMS alerts to residents living along the riverbanks to warn them of the incoming water.
A preliminary assessment suggests that a landslide may have blocked the river’s flow, forming a temporary dam that later burst and triggered the flash flood. The exact cause remains unestablished, and there was no recorded rainfall in the upper catchment area where the flood originated.
A preliminary assessment suggests that a landslide may have blocked the river’s flow, forming a temporary dam that later burst and triggered the flash flood.
Authorities also urged residents downstream to stay alert, noting the flood’s expected arrival time and the need to take precautions.