Nepal flash flood washes away houses and bridges, with five people missing

Nepali authorities are searching for five people missing after a flash flood swept away homes and bridges in the central Gorkha district on Sunday

Fifty people have been rescued, the army says, and families have been forced to flee their homes – many face uncertainty over access to shelter and essential supplies

Video of the flood shows the moment raging waters sweep down a valley and wash away an entire building complex

The cause is still unclear – some say a landslide may have blocked the river or its tributary for some time, causing the dammed water to burst out, while others say locals upstream saw an ice-avalanche

The deluge comes as Nepal tries to recover from catastrophic floods that hit its border towns with Tibet two months ago, leaving more than 1,400 people dead and 5,000 missing

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Edited by Joel Guinto with Navin Singh Kahdka, Phanindra Dahal and BBC Nepali Service

Officials have not yet confirmed any casualties, but initial reports show that the disaster caused the most damage in Chumanubri rural municipality.

At least two villages have been wiped out and several bridges were washed away, says Nima Lama, the chairperson of the municipality.

The five people missing are believed to be herders, Nima says, adding that about 100 cows have also gone missing.

Hundreds of people have been displaced across the Gorkha district, according to the assistant chief district officer Netra Prasad Sharma.

Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing Image source, Getty ImagesNepali authorities are still searching for five people missing hours after a flash flood tore through a central region, washing away homes and bridges.

The flood hit the Gorkha district as children and communities prepared to mark the first day of Dashain, Nepal’s biggest and longest festival.

Around 50 people have been rescued, authorities say.

Nepal is still trying to recover from catastrophic floods and landslides that swept through its border towns with Tibet two months ago, wiping out thousands of houses, destroying critical energy infrastructure and leaving thousands dead and missing.

We’ll bring you the latest updates as we get them.