'Nothing Is Left': Eyewitnesses Recall Horror Of Nepal Flash Floods That Killed 270
Giri Lal has been left with only memories of his wife and four children after Wednesday's devastating flash floods swept through Timure, a border town in Nepal's Rasuwa district. The 38-year-old was among those caught in a disaster that unfolded with such terrifying speed that witnesses said it felt like an earthquake. The floods swept away Lal's wife, two sons and two daughters. Lal, who drives…
On Wednesday, a catastrophic flash flood struck Timure, a border town in Nepal's Rasuwa district, leaving Giri Lal bereft of his wife and four children. The disaster unfolded so rapidly that witnesses likened it to an earthquake. Lal, a truck driver for the local waste management office, is currently receiving treatment at a state-run hospital in Kathmandu, roughly 160 km from Timure.
The death toll from the devastating floods climbed to 270 on Thursday as rescuers frantically sought hundreds of people still unaccounted for, marking one of Nepal's worst disasters in recent years.
The floods originated after an ice-rock avalanche upstream blocked the Lhende tributary of the Bhote Koshi River, causing a debris-laden surge to cascade downstream. Timure, situated near the Nepal-Tibet border, was the first to feel the fury of the torrent, which soon spread to other districts. Families have been desperately searching for their missing loved ones, displaying photographs and pleading with passersby if they've seen the missing individuals.
One eyewitness recounted the initial shock of the disaster while having breakfast. "I was at home this morning. While I was eating breakfast at around 8:40 am, news came that a flood had hit Timure. I heard people saying, 'Timure is completely gone, nothing is left,'" he shared with the Setopati.com news portal. The sheer scale of destruction became evident as rescue teams arrived, with videos on social media depicting buildings, people, and animals swept away by the torrential mud and water.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) reported over 800 people missing, with at least 579 of them identified as tourists. Nepal's Foreign Minister, Shisir Khanal, disclosed that nearly 300 Indian tourists were among the thousands reported missing, most of whom were en route to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet and Gosainkunda in Nepal.
The floods also caused significant damage, destroying 35 motorable bridges, 45 suspension bridges, and approximately 40 km of black-topped roads, primarily in central Nepal.
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