Hotel owner recounts terror as flash flood swept away home and business

Aarati Gajurel stands watching the remnants of her hotel, a place that was also her family's home, in Trishuli Dhunge Bazaar. Two days prior, her five-year-old son ran for his life as a torrent of mud and ice surged down the Trishuli River.

"I just need to get some documents and my clothes, then I never want to set foot here again," Gajurel stated, her voice heavy with the trauma of the event. She was traveling in Kathmandu when her sister called with panicked warnings. Residents upstream had alerted villagers to an enormous wave of mud, stone, ice, and water descending the valley.

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I just need to get some documents and my clothes, then I never want to set foot here again

"I was panicked, completely paralyzed, I never thought I would see my son again," the 30-year-old recounted about the phone call. Fortunately, her sister and brother managed to flee with her son and two nieces, escaping uphill to safety. However, many who did not heed the warnings were swept away by the powerful wave.

Witnesses described the wave rising high above the riverbed before rolling back over the village and receding into the river channel. The aftermath has left the area unrecognizable, with stone houses near the riverbed submerged in thick mud. The monsoon rains continue, adding to the sodden landscape. A bus carrying a driver, conductor, and passengers has also been missing since Wednesday.

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I was panicked, completely paralyzed, I never thought I would see my son again