India, Oct. 13 -- Disaster struck Nepal again as a torrent of mud, rocks and debris tore through villages in Nepal's Himalayan foothills on October 11. Dozens of homes and several bridges were swept away and at least five people are reported to be missing.

The flash flood struck the Budhi Gandaki River, a tributary of the Trishuli River in Gorkha district, around 100 kilometres west of Kathmandu. Preliminary assessments by Nepal's disaster authorities and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development suggest that a landslide blocked the river upstream, creating a temporary barrier that later gave way and unleashed a sudden surge downstream. The precise cause is still being assessed.

Almost 45 houses were swept away, with ...