Nepal flood survivors search for missing loved ones amid devastation

In the aftermath of Nepal's devastating floods, the scene at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital is one of desperate searching and profound loss. Families, like Yubaraj Lama, 29, who lost his sister, brother-in-law, and other nieces and nephews, cling to photographs of the missing, pleading for any sign of life.

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He has to be alive. He's an angel. Please help me.

"He has to be alive. He's an angel. Please help me," Lama implored, taping a photo of his three-year-old nephew to a wall already covered with images of the lost. His youngest nephew is the only family member whose fate remains unknown after the deluge swept through the Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts.

The scale of the tragedy is immense, with official figures reporting 633 deaths and around 3,000 people still missing as of August 29. The unstable weather, with skies threatening rain, further complicates rescue efforts, raising fears of additional landslides and dam collapses. The hospital, a central hub for identifying victims and reuniting families, is overwhelmed, with makeshift displays of victims' photos drawing crowds of anxious relatives.

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I'm pasting the photo because I want at least this child to be alive. Please put it in the article.

Amidst the chaos, stories of loss emerge. Amar Lumjl, 39, searches for his 27-year-old brother, who worked on a dam construction project for Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power. "He worked for Doosan for five years, and we were like brothers with the Koreans. Now, Doosan hasn't contacted me," Lumjl lamented, highlighting the uncertainty faced by local workers on international projects.

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He worked for Doosan for five years, and we were like brothers with the Koreans. Now, Doosan hasn't contacted me.

Nineteen-year-old Rojon Nepali, who had been living in Kathmandu for his studies, found himself searching for six family members who were running a restaurant in Rasuwa. "From left to right: my uncle, another uncle, my aunt, my younger brother, another younger brother, and my aunt-in-law," he explained, pointing to their photos. "They are all gone in an instant."

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From left to right: my uncle, another uncle, my aunt, my younger brother, another younger brother, and my aunt-in-law. They are all gone in an instant.