'It took everyone': Brothers tell of devastation after deadly floods on Nepal-Tibet border

Two brothers recount the devastation caused by deadly floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, claiming that the disaster took "everyone" they loved. Girilal Budhathoki told The National that the flood claimed the lives of his wife and child, leaving him devastated. His brother, Newall, could not bear the loss of his family and expressed his desire to no longer live.

At Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, Newall witnessed the grief of many others as rescuers continued to search for survivors in the affected valleys and hillsides of Nepal. Over 1,000 people remained missing in both Nepal and China following the collapse of an ice, mud, and rock wall into a mountain river, triggering the catastrophic flash flood.

Authorities in Nepal are utilizing helicopters to search for survivors and deliver emergency supplies to the thousands stranded in towns and valleys. Newall reported that at least 11 people from their village were still missing, including relatives. Roads leading into the area were destroyed, forcing evacuees like Newall to be airlifted to hospitals for treatment.

At the National Trauma Centre in Mahankal, survivors with various injuries were being treated, and the hospital was prepared to provide care to those who arrived without money, documents, or relatives. The government and other authorities were expected to support the cost of their treatment.

Reflecting on his own trek in Mustang just a day before the floods, Newall recalled the rapidly rising river water, which had become dangerously close to the road. He expressed his shock at how quickly the conditions in the mountains changed, emphasizing how a little more rain could have resulted in the disaster occurring right where he had been hiking.

The following day, a massive surge of ice, rock, water, and debris tore through the Nepal-Tibet border region, with the Trishuli river reportedly rising by up to nine meters in just 30 minutes. Numerous bridges were destroyed, cutting off towns and villages and leaving helicopters as the primary means for evacuating the injured and delivering emergency supplies.

Even in Kathmandu, the signs of the disaster were apparent, with ambulance sirens audible throughout the city and helicopters passing overhead. Families continued to arrive at hospitals, searching for their missing loved ones, as the nation grappled with the aftermath of the devastating floods.