Water has started flowing through a landslide-dammed section of the Hunga Khola river in Gudel of Mahakulung Rural Municipality, Solukhumbu, authorities said.

The river was completely blocked for some time after a landslide formed a natural dam, causing water to pool over a stretch of about 40 metres. The water has since risen and begun spilling over the dam and flowing downstream.

Bhojraj Karki, ward 7 chair of Dudhkoshi Rural Municipality, told Kantipur that the blockage had formed a dam about 35 to 40 metres wide.

“The river is quite large. It was completely blocked for a while.. The water has now filled up and started flowing over it. However, the risk remains,” Karki said.

The Hunga Khola river flows through Mahakulung and Sotang before joining the Dudhkoshi river.

Authorities have urged residents to stay away from the banks of the Hunga Khola and Dudhkoshi rivers and remain alert, warning that the risk of flooding persists despite the water now flowing.

“Police and the local administration have already issued warnings. We are also asking people in all riverside areas in our jurisdiction to stay away from the riverbanks,” Karki said. “Even though the river has started flowing, there is still a risk of flooding if the dam formed by the blockage collapses.”