Nepal flood survivors recount devastation, lost loved ones

Survivors of a catastrophic flood that ravaged Nepal on August 26 are grappling with immense loss, searching for missing loved ones amidst the ruins of their communities. The torrent of mud, rock, and debris surged down the Trisuli River, obliterating entire neighborhoods in Syaprubesi, Betrawati, and Trisuli, and severing vital road access to the China border.

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We had no warning, no one called from up the river to tell us a flood was coming. One second it was up there, and the next it was here. It moved so fast.

Photographer Suman Nepali, who works for Nepali Times, documented the harrowing aftermath, describing scenes of profound human devastation. He encountered children separated from their families, including five-year-old Kirti Tamang, who was found in a forest after being swept away, and Biswas Tamang, identified by his school ID card. Nepali also witnessed the silent grief of a husband collapsing upon finding his wife's body.

The journey to assess the damage was perilous, with normal routes transformed into treacherous paths of sludge and forest trails. "Trisuli Bazar was gone. Devighat was gone. The road further up to the Chinese border was gone," Nepali reported. Along the way, people scoured muddy riverbanks for relatives, while Chinese workers searched for colleagues from a hydropower plant.

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Trisuli Bazar was gone. Devighat was gone. The road further up to the Chinese border was gone.

Many survivors expressed shock at the flood's speed and ferocity. "We had no warning, no one called from up the river to tell us a flood was coming," one survivor recounted. "One second it was up there, and the next it was here. It moved so fast." The disaster disproportionately affected women, children, and the elderly, as many young men have migrated for work. Some returning migrant workers found their homes and families gone.

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At the water I could be myself.