Key facts
- Over 175 people have died and 800 are missing following flash floods in Nepal.
- Entire villages were wiped out by the powerful floods.
- Survivors described seeing family members swept away by the torrents.
- Rescue efforts are underway to provide aid and relief to affected areas.
- Families are anxiously waiting for news of missing loved ones at hospitals.
Survivors of massive flash floods in Nepal have recounted harrowing experiences of seeing loved ones disappear into torrents of mud. The disaster, which occurred on Wednesday near the border of Nepal and Tibet, has claimed over 175 lives, with an additional 800 people reported missing. The force of the floods was so powerful that seismologists initially mistook it for an earthquake.
Rescuers were seen trudging through thick mud and debris on Thursday as Nepalese authorities worked to deliver aid and relief supplies to the devastated regions. Kalpana Malla, from the Nuwakot district, shared her grief, stating that her father, mother, sister, and her sister's children were all swept away. She and her son, Sugam Malla, survived by climbing onto a rooftop.
Other survivors, like Goma Pandit, have lost all their livestock and crops, including essential seeds and grains, leaving them with nothing. At Kathmandu's TU Teaching Hospital, families of the missing are gathered, anxiously awaiting any news. Ram Khumari Shrestha expressed her worry for her husband, who was unreachable after being in contact until the previous evening. Mani Shrestha Bishwa is also at the hospital, hoping for word about his younger brother, cousin, uncle, and friend.
Trekking guide Sonam Dorjee narrowly missed the flood in his village of Rasiwa Syafru, having left just an hour before the disaster struck. He described the sound of the flood as being like an earthquake and confirmed his house had collapsed. He is also searching for his sister, Dechen Tamang, her husband, and other family members, holding onto a slim hope of their survival.