On August 28, according to AFP news agency, survivors of flash floods and landslides in Nepal were brought to safety by helicopter, while rescue forces continued to search for hundreds of missing people.
The latest updated figures show that the death toll in this devastating flood has increased to 478, while more than 1,200 people, mostly foreign citizens, are still missing.
In the town of Bidur, helicopters continuously landed on football fields inside the military area to bring survivors out of the devastated areas. Some people were taken by stretchers, others were helped out of the helicopter by rescuers.
Many people are still in shock after the disaster. Among those rescued was Omkar Joshi, a 35-year-old customs officer. He spent the night on a hill in the border town of Timure before being taken to safety.
Everything is over," Joshi said.
According to this man, the town where he escaped almost disappeared under the water, mud and rocks. Joshi said 90% of the people here have died, buried in mud: "It's a giant cemetery. All that's left is sand and gravel, stained red with human blood.
Joshi said hundreds of survivors could only run up the nearby slopes as floodwaters rushed through the valley. Rain continued throughout the night, but they had to stay up high until helicopters arrived to rescue them.
The flash flood with landslides that occurred on August 26 was described as "a tsunami" sweeping through residential areas along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers.
According to the US Geological Survey, the disaster originated from a glacial collapse, creating a huge flow of material containing ice, rocks and soil. The flow of material poured into the Lhende Khola River, forming a natural dam that prevented water from flowing downstream. When the barrier was broken, a large amount of water, mud and rocks continued to pour downstream.
In Bidur, many relatives are still waiting for news of the missing people.
Ms. Sita BK, 37 years old, is looking for her younger brother Ramchandra, a teacher in Timure. She said she spoke to him on the morning of August 26, just before hearing the news of the disaster, but since then her younger brother's phone has been unreachable.
In Devighat, downstream of the Trishuli River, people said only 1 of about 150 riverside houses remained intact. A 4-story elderly care center still stood firm, but rescue forces said that up to 7 elderly people may have been buried when a landslide hit the building while they were trying to escape.
Local people said that warnings about floodwaters from the mountains helped many people to run to safety in time.
