Fresh flood fears in Nepal as toll hits 788
The death toll from devastating flash floods that swept through Nepal’s Bhotekoshi and Trishuli River systems has crossed 788, while nearly 2,500 people remain missing, leaving thousands of families facing a difficult search for loved ones and an uncertain road to recovery. Meanwhile, authorities warned of increased water levels in the Bhotekoshi River and urged residents and rescue personnel in flood-hit districts to remain alert.
The floods struck parts of northern and central Nepal on August 26, sending powerful torrents of water, mud and debris through towns and villages. Rescue operations are continuing in affected areas, even as survivors return to their homes to assess the damage and salvage whatever remains.
In Galchhi, one of the worst-hit areas, residents have been digging through layers of mud, sand and wreckage in search of belongings. Many homes have been severely damaged or completely swept away, while displaced families are relying on relief camps for food and shelter.
Among those trying to rebuild are Class 11 student Nayan Tiwari and his cousin Nivi Tiwari, whose family home in Galchhi suffered extensive damage.
Nayan said he was in Kathmandu when he received news of the flooding. He immediately contacted his family and urged them to leave the house and move to higher ground. Shortly after they escaped, the floodwaters intensified and swept away everything in their path.
The Tiwari family’s house, which had been home to nearly a decade of memories, was left badly damaged. Sand accumulated in the basement, while mud and debris entered the first floor, covering the kitchen and bedrooms.
“Everything was here before, but now there is nothing left. Everything has been destroyed. It feels really bad. But we will rebuild it. We will work hard and make the house like it was before,” Nayan said.
He said more than 15 houses in the surrounding area were completely washed away by the force of the water.
Nivi said she was also in Kathmandu when she first learned about the disaster. Returning to see the condition of the family home left her devastated.
“I had never seen such a devastating flood before. When I came back and saw my house, I felt completely helpless,” she said.
Despite the destruction, the family has begun clearing the mud and debris and is determined to restore the house.
“We are working hard with our family to make this house like it was before. We will repair it soon because our childhood was spent here. We learned to walk and read in this house. Now it has been badly damaged, but we will rebuild it,” Nivi said.
For now, the family is receiving relief supplies to meet some of its immediate food and other essential needs.
The devastation is equally stark in Trishuli in Nuwakot district, where residents have been searching through thick layers of mud and wreckage for possessions and missing relatives.
At Devighat, displaced families have gathered at an emergency relief camp, where food and shelter are being provided. A catering worker at the camp said meals would continue to be served to survivors for as long as necessary.
“We will not say that the food supply has ended. Whoever comes here will be provided free meals,” the worker said.
The search for missing people has also extended beyond the immediate flood-hit areas. Bodies carried downstream by the powerful currents have been recovered in locations far from where the flooding occurred, complicating efforts to identify victims and reunite families.
At a teaching hospital in Kathmandu, relatives have gathered near the morgue as photographs and posters of flood victims are displayed in the hope of identifying those who remain unaccounted for.
The disaster has also affected Indian nationals working in Nepal. Eight people from Bihar’s Samastipur district who were employed at a tyre and hardware shop in the Battar area of Nuwakot are among those reported missing.
Sandesh Poddar said the eight associates have not been heard from since the floods and their mobile phones cannot be reached. His friend Ajay said damage to the road between Galchhi and Rasuwa has made it difficult for them to travel into the area and continue the search.
The scale and speed of the flooding left many people with little time to escape.
Renjitha Vinay Kumar, who returned to Kerala through Nedumbassery airport on Sunday, recalled seeing enormous trees being carried away by the floodwaters.
“It’s a blessing that we escaped and survived,” she said.
Another pilgrim, Vineeth Kumar, described the force of the water as resembling a tsunami.
“About 500-600 metres away, we saw water gushing out like a tsunami,” he said.
Authorities have linked the disaster to an ice-rock avalanche following a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border. The event sent a massive surge of water, mud and debris downstream, devastating settlements along the affected river systems.
With hundreds confirmed dead and thousands still missing, rescue and identification efforts remain the immediate priority. For survivors such as the Tiwari family, however, another challenge has already begun: clearing the ruins, finding a place to live and rebuilding homes that once represented years of memories.
