Search and rescue teams are working against time to locate thousands of people missing after the devastating August 26 flash flood along the Nepal-Tibet border, the death toll in which is nearing a thousand.ย The sheer horror of the calamity came to the fore once again after 23 bodies were recovered from a single house buried under flood debris in Nuwakot.
The death toll has risen to 939, while more than 4,000 people remain unaccounted for. In one of the worst-hit areas, a three-storey house in Betravati village of Bidur Municipality, Nuwakot, was swallowed by debris carried by the swollen Bhotekoshi River. Twenty-one bodies were found inside one room and another two outside the house.
The discovery has raised fears that the victims may have been pilgrims travelling towards Gosaikunda, a popular religious destination. Their identities have not yet been established.
23 bodies found buried in house in Nepalย
A police officer involved in the search operation said rescuers recovered 21 bodies from a room inside the house and two more from outside. The building was struck by the massive flooding that swept through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems on August 26.
Investigators believe the victims may have rushed towards the upper floors as floodwaters rose, hoping to escape the devastation below. Instead, the house itself became a death trap.
Nuwakot Superintendent of Police Bipin Regmi said, “21 bodies were found in one room and 2 outside. One body appears to be that of a foreign national. Bags were also found with the bodies. They could possibly be travellers heading to Gosaikunda.”
The bodies were found in a room just below the roof, indicating that those inside may have climbed upwards in a desperate attempt to survive. Among the most disturbing discoveries was the body of a woman found tightly holding a young girl. Police suspect the two may have been a mother and daughter.
Regmi said the evidence suggested that several people had gathered together while trying to escape the rising waters, only to be overwhelmed when the flood and debris engulfed the building.
Of the 23 bodies recovered, eight have been taken to Trishuli Hospital, while the remaining bodies have been temporarily placed on the roof and will be transported later.
Close to 4,000 still missing
The tragedy extends far beyond the buried house in Nuwakot. In Uttargaya village of Rasuwa district, around 350 students are reportedly missing, with search operations continuing.
Rescue efforts at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project also remained stalled for the sixth consecutive day because of difficult conditions. Around 40-42 engineers were working at the project, and authorities are trying to establish their whereabouts.
At the Trishuli 3B Hydropower Project, contact has also not been established with 118 employees, adding to concerns over the human toll of the floods.
Indian rescue teams join search
Indian rescue experts have intensified their operations in Nepal, working alongside the Nepalese Army despite challenging weather and difficult terrain.
The Indian team has reportedly achieved initial progress in efforts to rescue workers trapped inside tunnels in Chilime and Langtang in Rasuwa district. Search and rescue operations are continuing at both locations as teams race to locate survivors and account for those still missing.
Reported by Ganesh Shankar
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