Nepal floods: Lone house stands tall amid massive devastation

Devastating floods in Nepal's Trishuli region, caused by a glacial lake outburst, have swept away homes and livelihoods. A lone house standing untouched has become a viral symbol of the destruction as survivors share their harrowing stories.

As floodwaters tore through parts of Nepal's Trishuli region, sweeping away homes, shops and vehicles, a mint-green, two-storey house stood nearly untouched amid the destruction, becoming a striking reminder of the devastation that survivors are now struggling to comprehend.

Around the house, which is now viral on social media, the landscape tells a different story. Buildings have been washed away, bridges have disappeared, and families have been forced to leave behind homes and livelihoods as rescue and relief operations continue in the flood-hit region.

Survivors' Harrowing Accounts

For residents, the disaster unfolded within moments after warnings were issued about the glacial lake outburst and rising floodwaters. Local resident Phulmaya Lama told ANI that people initially found it difficult to believe that a flood of such magnitude could reach their area. "We were at home going about our regular daily lives. I had a clothing shop nearby. I opened the shop, cleaned it up, and was sitting there. As soon as we received information that the glacial lake in Tibet had burst, and that Timure village was gone, Syabrubesi was gone... they were all giving warnings and telling everyone to run away," Lama said.

She recalled seeing people rushing to safety as police used loudspeakers to warn residents. "When we looked, we saw the flood coming, as high as the mountain itself. So all of us ran away. In the midst of all the panic, elderly people, school children, school buses, and the police van that was alerting us--even the police vehicle got swept away," she said.

Lama said her own house was destroyed and that her family has been staying at another person's home for six days. "Our house was also destroyed. Nothing is left. Right now, we are staying in the village, taking shelter in someone else's house. It has been six days now. Right now, we have no idea about eating, drinking, or where to stay," she said.

She said several people from around her home remain missing. "Everyone around us is fine, but next to our house, a woman and her son disappeared. On the other side, there was a hotel; a brother and sister from there also disappeared. And an old man who was sitting right here disappeared as well. Five people from near our house couldn't be found," Lama said.

Another survivor described returning to an area where almost nothing remained. "Everything is gone, sir, nothing is left... The helicopter brought us yesterday. Everyone is fine... All the money kept for an operation is gone, everything is gone," the resident said.

"There is no shop, no room, nothing left. I had such a nice shop right here," the survivor added.

For Prakash Tamang, the devastation also carried a sense of relief after his children narrowly escaped the disaster. "I used to live right here, my home was here. It all got washed away in the flood," Tamang told ANI.

Tamang said he had taken his two children to school in his car that day instead of allowing them to travel by school bus. "By God's grace, they survived. Beyond that, everything is gone," he said.

After ensuring his family was safe in Kathmandu, Tamang returned to the affected area to see his destroyed home and check whether officials were recording the losses. "I took my family to Kathmandu and put them up at a relative's place. I came back this morning to check on things and see if officials are noting down the losses," he said.

Nationwide Devastation and Statistics

The destruction comes as Nepal continues to deal with one of its worst recent flood disasters. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), the death toll rose to 903 on Monday, while around 4,247 people remained missing. A total of 10,451 people have been rescued so far.

Chitwan has reported the highest number of casualties at 272, followed by Nawalparasi East with 207, Nawalparasi West with 151, Nuwakot with 95, Gorkha with 62, Dhading with 55, Tanahun with 37 and Rasuwa with 24.

Missing Persons

The missing include security personnel, government employees, hydropower workers and foreign nationals. Nuwakot has reported 1,548 missing persons and Rasuwa 865, according to District Emergency Operations Centre data.

Massive Rescue Operations Underway

Rescue operations are continuing on the ground and by air. The Nepal Army has conducted aerial rescues of 252 foreigners and 3,344 Nepali nationals, while 411 flights have been conducted as part of rescue and relief operations.

On August 30, 15 people from a hydropower site, including five Chinese and seven Indian nationals, were rescued.

Nearly 20,000 security personnel have been deployed for rescue operations. Ground teams have carried out 8,730 rescues, while helicopter operations have airlifted thousands of people from affected areas. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)