Nepali Families Search for Missing Relatives After Flood

At Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, families are reviewing lists of individuals who are critical, deceased, or have been released following a devastating flood. Loknath Chaulagain is searching for his 23-year-old nephew Sudarshan, who was at a checkpoint in Timure, a town bordering Tibet, when the flash flood struck on Wednesday. His family reported that a phone call was made to Sudarshan's number at 9:54 AM local time, shortly after the flood, but he did not answer and has since been unreachable. The family has been searching for him in the areas affected by the floods and in hospitals in Kathmandu, but they have not found him. Thousands of families in Nepal are in a similar situation, caught between hope and fear regarding the fate of their loved ones. Two days after the flood, the full extent of the damage remains unclear. The death toll has risen to nearly 500, with over 1,000 individuals reported missing. The flood, which occurred on August 26, caused significant destruction in Timure, Rasuwagadhi, and Syabrubesi, as well as downstream areas like Trishuli and Nuwakot. Buildings, electric poles, bridges, markets, homes, and vehicles were swept away. The Trishuli market is now covered in mud and debris, and locals, including many long-term residents from India, are pleading with relief workers for assistance in retrieving their belongings. Helicopters have been deployed to rescue individuals trapped under rubble or stranded in dangerous conditions. Those with minor injuries are being treated at an army camp medical unit, while more severely injured individuals are being airlifted to larger hospitals in Kathmandu. At the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, families are posting photographs and contact information of missing persons on walls. Hospital pillars display lists of admitted patients, those in critical condition, and deceased individuals. Among those searching is Sohan, who is looking for his 42-year-old father, Gyan Bahadur Rana Magar. Exhausted from the search, he expresses the need to maintain hope despite the circumstances. His father was guiding Indian tourists in Rasuwa when the flood occurred. When the lists do not provide answers, families often go to the mortuary, where photographs of recovered bodies are displayed. Lal Kumari, dressed in traditional attire, is searching for her husband, Arjun Shreshtha, a tourist van driver who was swept away in the flood. She expresses her desperation and hope for good news as she waits for updates.