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🇳🇵 Nepal /Disasters & Emergencies

They Escaped Nepal’s 2015 Earthquake. They Couldn’t Escape the Bhotekoshi Flood

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Families relocated after Nepal’s 2015 earthquake were among those killed or reported missing when the Bhotekoshi flood struck on August 26.
  • Survivors said the flood destroyed not only homes but also the land where they had rebuilt, leaving some communities with almost no residents.
  • The disaster renewed questions about the safety of settlements created after experts recommended moving people from quake- and landslide-prone areas.

Kaman Singh Tamang survived the 2015 earthquake after his home was destroyed and his family was moved from Tiru to Satbise in Rasuwa. He rebuilt there and continued living in the village. On August 26, he died in the Bhotekoshi flood, along with his wife and children.

We survived the earthquake, but we could not remain in the village. Now not only the village is gone, but the villagers themselves have been swept away.

· Rajan GhaleA local resident described the destruction of a settlement rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake.

His elder brother Santosh said more than 65 families relocated after the earthquake were caught in the disaster. Except for a few people who were away, almost everyone was swept away. “We survived the earthquake, but we could not remain in the village,” local resident Rajan Ghale said. “Now not only the village is gone, but the villagers themselves have been swept away.”

The 2015 earthquake and its aftershocks killed nearly 9,000 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes. Rasuwa ranked among the worst-hit districts. After experts advised relocating settlements threatened by landslides, families moved to places including Khalte and Satbise in Rasuwa, and Naubise, Shanti Bazaar and Gerku in neighbouring Nuwakot.

We came to Kainchaltar looking for a safe place. We could not survive even in a place that was considered safe.

· Yuvraj TamangA quake-displaced resident lost his parents and four-year-old son in the flood.

Yuvraj Tamang moved from Dandagaun to Kainchaltar in Naubise after the earthquake to find a safer place. The flood killed his parents and four-year-old son. “We came to Kainchaltar looking for a safe place,” he said. “We could not survive even in a place that was considered safe.”

The earthquake destroyed our house, but at least the land remained. Now even the land is gone. Everything has become a riverbed.

· Pradip AdhikariA resident contrasted the losses caused by the earthquake and the later flood.

For others, the loss has gone beyond the earthquake’s destruction. Pradip Adhikari of Tupche said, “The earthquake destroyed our house, but at least the land remained. Now even the land is gone. Everything has become a riverbed.” Karsang Bute of Syaphrubesi lost her husband and other relatives and said her village and neighbours had disappeared. Some families, she said, now have only one surviving member, while others have lost eight or nine.

The house has not collapsed in the flood, but it is no longer possible to live there. The village is gone and so are our relatives.

· Karsang ButeA survivor from Syaphrubesi described why returning home is no longer possible.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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