Kathmandu | A sudden and massive flood swept through northern Nepal on Wednesday morning, causing extensive damage to the border settlement and placing multiple downstream districts on high alert, officials said.

The flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River at around 9 am (local time), reportedly coming from the direction of Tibet.

The sudden rise in water caused widespread destruction in Timure ᨊin Rasuwa district and the nearby Syafrubesi area, with vehicles, goods and other property washed away, the Nepal Army said in a statement.

Rasuwa district lies in the North-East of Kathmandu, around 125 km from the Tibet border.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRM) Nepal has issued a statement calling people residing near river banks of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitawan and Gorkha to remain on high alert and take safety measures until further notice.

Rasuwa Assistant Chief District Officer Dhruva Prasad Adhikari said the scale of the flooding was unusually large and that the two settlements had suffered significant damage.

Rasuwa Chief Customs Officer Rajendra Dhungana said numerous vehicles and goods kept at the customs premises were swept away. A recently constructed bridge was also destroyed.

The Prime Minister's Office has said that Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel have been mobilised in Rasuwa and surrounding areas to intensify efforts for rescue and relief activities in view of the devastating flood.

A high-level meeting is being called to discuss the situation in the aftermath of the flood and to take necessary measures to deal with the situation, according to the PM office.

Nepal Army has already dispatched two helicopters to areas near the Trishuli River to carry out search and rescue work. An Army helicopter (MI 17) equipped with an Emergency Medical Rescue Team has already been mobilised towards the district hospital in Trishuli, the army said in a statement.

However, the details of the damage caused by the devastating flood are yet to arrive, as collection of data regarding the damage is underway, the Nepal Army said.

Just a year ago, two catastrophic floods hit Bhotekoshi, wreaking havoc in Rasuwa killing at least ten people.

The flood was a consequence of the sudden draining of a previously unnoticed 'supraglacial' lake.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Wednesday’s flooding was not caused by rainfall in Rasuwa.