Survivors of recent devastating floods in Nepal are grappling with loss and uncertainty as they search for missing loved ones. The sudden and powerful torrents have swept away homes and possessions, leaving many in urgent need of rescue, evacuation, food, and medical aid.
At Kathmandu's TU Teaching Hospital, families anxiously await news of those unaccounted for. Ram Khumari Shrestha recounted her distress after losing contact with her husband, who was traveling for work. "He was in contact with me until 8 pm yesterday. But I couldn't call him this morning. The phone was switched off," she told the BBC.
Mani Shrestha Bishwa described a similar ordeal, desperately seeking information about his younger brother, cousin, uncle, and a friend. "I last contacted them at 8:30 in the morning," he said.
Trekking guide Sonam Dorjee narrowly escaped the flood in his home village of Rasiwa Syafru, having left just an hour before the deluge. While driving to Kathmandu, he heard a sound he described as being "like an earthquake" as the floodwaters surged into his village. "My house has collapsed... I have seen a photo," Dorjee stated, confirming that his sister, Dechen Tamang, her husband, and other family members are among the missing.
"Many survivors are now left without homes and they need emergency rescue and evacuation, as well as food, temporary accommodation and medical support," Dorjee added, holding onto a slim hope that his sister might still be found alive.
One woman described the horrifying experience of watching her father, mother, sister, and her sister's children being swept away by the floodwaters before her eyes. The sheer force and speed of the inundation have left a trail of destruction and profound anguish for those affected.