4 days ago

Survivors Recount Nepal Flash Floods’ Terrifying Race for Life

A sudden flood hit towns along Nepal’s Bhotekoshi River.

The flood carried water, mud, rocks and pieces of buildings.

People had to run uphill as quickly as they could.

Dipak Tamang climbed a steep hill and saw some friends disappear in the flood.

He and others spent the night in an old storage building before rescuers arrived.

Many homes and shops in Trishuli were covered with mud.

Anjana Raja and Pattabiraman Venkatesan escaped from a bus and climbed to higher ground.

They said the rushing debris looked like a huge tsunami.

Rescuers later found some bodies downstream in the Narayani River.

Key facts

Main locations: Timure, Trishuli and other settlements along Nepal’s Bhotekoshi River
Tamang’s rescue: He was rescued about 24 hours after taking refuge in an old forest go-down.
Trishuli market: The market had around 50 to 60 houses, most of which were buried under mud.
Flood height described: Witnesses estimated the approaching mass at roughly 50 to 70 feet high.
Missing people: Families searched for missing relatives, while some students from Uttargaya Boarding School later returned after walking through the jungle.
Recovered bodies: Some people swept away from Rasuwa were recovered from the Narayani River.
International survivors: Anjana Raja and Pattabiraman Venkatesan were rescued and airlifted to Kathmandu.

rediff.com · 4 days ago