Nepal Floods Leave Survivors Searching for Homes, Loved Ones

At least 1,386 people have been killed and 5,130 remain missing after devastating floods and mudslides struck parts of Nepal, leaving thousands displaced and destroying entire communities.

The disaster, triggered by a glacial collapse in the mountains along the Nepal-China border, sent huge volumes of mud, rocks and water through settlements along the Trishuli River.

In Betrawati, Nuwakot district, survivors have found little trace of their former homes. Houses and land have been buried beneath thick layers of hardened grey silt.

Twenty-three-year-old Anusa Thapa Magar returned from the Maldives after hearing about the disaster, hoping her grandmother had survived. Instead, she found the family’s two-storey house completely buried. Her grandmother, who could barely walk, was last seen resting on her bed.

Residents searching through the destruction have found scattered shoes, school ties and children’s backpacks, which they describe as reminders of the panic as people fled the rising floodwaters.

In nearby Devighat, damaged buildings remain standing while residents search the rubble for whatever belongings can be recovered. Many say there is little reason to return because parts of the land itself have disappeared beneath the debris.

The disaster has also revived painful memories of Nepal’s 2015 earthquake, which killed nearly 9,000 people. Survivors say that after the earthquake, they were at least able to rebuild on their original land. This time, many have lost their homes, land and livelihoods.

For residents such as 61-year-old Shanti Dangol, who once operated a lodge for pilgrims and trekkers, the destruction has wiped out years of economic progress.

Rescue and search operations are continuing, although authorities say it has been several days since anyone was found alive. Thousands of displaced people are currently staying in temporary shelters while facing an uncertain future.

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