A mudslide suddenly flooded into a residential area in central Nepal, leaving people with only a few minutes to escape, leaving behind houses and assets accumulated for many years.
In Devighat, Nuwakot district, Mr. Santosh Thapa said that his relatives were lucky to escape when the mud flood rushed in. At that time, Mr. Thapa was in Kathmandu but his family recounted that they first heard a loud noise, then saw floodwater mixed with mud and rocks quickly overflowing.
Recognizing the danger, Mr. Thapa's relatives immediately fled by motorbike. "They probably only had 1-2 minutes to escape. If they had to run, they might not have had time," Mr. Thapa told Xinhua news agency while helping relatives clean up the devastated house.
His family almost did not have time to bring anything. Thapa's grandfather's store on the ground floor was completely buried. The two upper floors were also affected, showing that the mud flow at one point rose about 9m.
The house, shop, goods and household items were mostly destroyed. Family assets accumulated over many years were also swept away.
In the town of Bidur, a few kilometers upstream of the Trishuli River from Devighat, the scene is also desolate. The once bustling Trishuli Bazar street has now almost disappeared under the thick layer of gray mud. Many bridges connecting both sides of the river have been swept away, making it impossible for people to return home.
Mr. Aravindra Gupta, who has lived in this area for 25 years and used to do vegetable business, also lost his store in the disaster. "I was sitting outside the store when the mud flood came," he recounted.
Mr. Gupta is currently staying at a friend's house. He came to Nepal from India when he was only 1 year old and said he wanted to continue staying where he had lived most of his life, even though he did not know where to start again.
Meanwhile, rescue work still faces many obstacles due to roads and important bridges being destroyed. Telecommunications in many areas are disrupted, and electricity has not been fully restored.
According to the Nepal National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Agency, as of 9:00 am on August 30 (local time), functional forces have found 734 bodies in areas devastated by mudslides, while 2,498 people are still missing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns of an increased risk of epidemics due to hot and humid weather, crowded gatherings and disruptions to clean water, sanitation, and health systems.
