Nepal floods: Families search for missing relatives after 165 deaths

Anxious relatives crowded hospital corridors in Kathmandu, desperately searching for news of missing family members after devastating floods on the Nepal-Tibet border claimed at least 165 lives. Subash Khatani was among those scanning lists and speaking with officials, hoping to find his elder brother, Ram Sharan Rasaili, who is among the hundreds unaccounted for.

A tsunami-like wall of water and mud swept through villages and towns along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers on Wednesday. Nepali police reported recovering 162 bodies, with deaths reported across seven districts. Rasuwa in northern Nepal was the first district hit, but floodwaters surged more than 160 kilometers south to Chitwan, near the Indian border.

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My elder brother Ram Sharan Rasaili is among those missing in Rasuwa. That’s why we are out searching for him.

The cause of the disaster is not immediately clear, but the US Geological Survey indicated it was a glacial collapse that triggered seismic activity and catastrophic downstream impacts in Nepal and Tibet. Chitra Bahadur Nepali is searching for his nephew, Yubraj Sewak, a driver who was traveling towards the worst-affected Rasuwa district before contact was lost.

As rescue teams comb through flood-ravaged districts for survivors, families are moving between hospitals and police helpdesks. Bir hospital in Kathmandu stated it would treat all victims for free and is prepared for the influx of patients. In Nepal, 823 people, including 579 tourists, remain out of contact, according to the country's disaster agency. In Tibet, Chinese state media reported three deaths and 558 missing, including 260 foreigners.

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My nephew was on his way to Rasuwa and was in contact with my sister until about 8:00 am yesterday. We have not heard from him since the flood.