When the first deluge hit Nuwakot district on Wednesday, the force of water was so fierce that even seismologists mistook it for an earthquake. The sudden flood swept across villages, leaving entire homes submerged and communities cut off in thick mud to the south of Kathmandu.
The human toll is staggering: more than 175 people have been confirmed dead and roughly 800 others are still missing. As rescue crews dig through debris, families sit in the corridors of the University of Kathmandu Hospital, praying for news of their loved ones.
Survivors recount scenes of loss that felt surreal. For instance, Kalpana Malla told us that her father, mother, sister, and nephews disappeared before her eyes. "They could not escape the flood; there was no chance at all," she said. She and a son escaped by climbing onto a rooftop, but the circumstances remain unclear.
"The flood took everything, but my son and I climbed the rooftop and survived, but I don't know how," she recalled.
Her son Sugam Malla saved his mother by pulling her hand out of the water, but when he gave his phone to his sister to keep in touch, the line was abruptly cut. "I am worried she must have been swept away," he said with a tremor in his voice.
Another victim, Goma Pandit, lost not only her loved ones but also invaluable livestock and farmland. "My farmland is also swept away – ten sacks of mustard seeds, tons of corn, and rice paddies all gone. Nothing is left," she noted.
In the villages closer to Rasuwa, a trekking guide named Sonam Dorjee reported that his sister Dechen Tamang and her husband, among others, fell victim to the flood at their home village of Rasiwa Syafru. He said, "It sounded like an earthquake. My house collapsed… I have seen the photo of it." He now fears the chance of his sister being found alive is only about ten percent.
Families like Ram Khumari Shrestha and Mani Shrestha Bishwa have been waiting in the hospital for news of missing relatives. Shrestha recalls that her husband, who works as a driver, last spoke with her at 8:00 p.m., but then the phone went dead. Shrestha’s brother also waited for a call from a younger brother, cousin, uncle, and friend – none of whom have been heard of since the flood.
The flood’s suddenness has left many survivors stranded without homes or basic needs. According to Dorjee, “Many survivors are left without homes and they need emergency rescue and evacuation, as well as food, temporary accommodation and medical support.” The urgent call for help has prompted helicopter flights and ground teams to reach the affected regions.
Aerial view of flooded areas in Nuwakot district.
