No Sri Lankans have been affected by sudden flooding on the Budhigandaki River in Nepal so far, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Kathmandu is monitoring the situation. It has advised Sri Lankans in Nepal to stay alert and avoid travel to areas that could be affected.
The flooding hit the Gorkha District in central Nepal. Nepal’s Flood Forecasting Division said it received the first information at around 6 a.m. on 11 October. No rain had fallen in the area in the previous 24 hours, and authorities suspect water may have been released suddenly from a glacial lake. Officials said a detailed technical analysis is needed to confirm the cause.
Water at the Budhigandaki-Arughat monitoring station rose from 2.28 metres at 6.30 a.m. to 5.01 metres at 7.10 a.m., above the danger level of five metres. The level later fell, but the monitoring equipment was damaged and no further readings were available.
Nepalese authorities sent about 200,000 SMS alerts in two phases to residents in parts of Gorkha, Dhading, Nuwakot and Chitwan districts. Residents near the river and downstream were asked to stay in safe places, keep away from riverbanks and avoid roads and bridges that could be affected.
Nepalese officials said monitoring and technical assessments are continuing.
