4 days ago
Nepal Flood Survivors Recount Loss, Narrow Escapes and Rescue
A powerful flood hit parts of Nepal on Wednesday morning.
Mud, rocks and water swept through communities and destroyed homes and farmland.
Shyam Lal Thapa tried to hold his wife’s hand, but the current pulled her away.
His son is still missing, and his daughter-in-law has stopped speaking since the disaster.
Engineer Santosh Thapa escaped because he woke up later than usual.
He and a friend ran into nearby hills after seeing a huge wall of water.
Other workers also climbed to high ground and waited to be rescued.
Many survivors are now at relief camps or army bases.
Officials also warned people about the possibility of another flood after reports of a second lake break.
Shyam Lal Thapa says he could not save his wife, Gyanu, after powerful floodwaters separated them.
Thapa’s son remains missing, while his daughter-in-law is staying with him at a relief camp.
Engineer Santosh Thapa says he survived because he overslept and escaped toward nearby hills.
Two of Santosh Thapa’s colleagues were reportedly killed after reaching the municipality office before the flood.
Road worker Om Prakash Tharu and others fled to higher ground before being airlifted to safety.
- Who
- Residents, municipal workers and laborers in Nepal, including Shyam Lal Thapa, Santosh Thapa and Om Prakash Tharu, were affected.
- What
- Flash floods swept away people, homes, farmland and workplaces, leaving deaths, missing people and displaced survivors.
- Where
- Rasuwa district and adjoining areas of Nepal, including communities near the Trishuli-1 hydroelectric project.
- When
- Wednesday morning; the reports do not specify the calendar date.
- Why
- A wall of mud, rock and water struck the area; officials later warned of a possible second flood after reports of another lake break in higher regions.
Key facts
- Disaster
- Flash floods involving mud, rock and powerful water currents.
- Fatality and missing-person accounts
- Shyam Lal Thapa lost his wife, Gyanu, and said his son remained missing.
- Survivor age
- Shyam Lal Thapa is 52; Santosh Thapa is 29; Om Prakash Tharu is 19.
- Rescue status
- Survivors from affected areas were airlifted and taken to relief camps or an army-based rescue and relief centre.
- Warning
- Security personnel issued loud warnings about a possible second flood after reports of a second lake break.
- Livelihoods affected
- Paddy fields, municipal workplaces and construction work near the hydroelectric project were affected.
Quotes
Om Prakash Tharu
A 19-year-old worker at the Trishuli-1 hydroelectric project.
“When I turned around and saw the flood of water, I knew that nobody working in the lower reaches would survive. I saw the river taking so many people with it”
indianexpress.com
“I tried to hold on to my wife’s hand, but the water current was so strong that I couldn’t save her”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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