'Everything is lost' - Inside devastated Nepal flood zone

In Nepal's Trishuli River Valley, the catastrophic floods struck Bidur last Wednesday, transforming the landscape in an instant. Gita Devi Kalwar, a local resident, recounted the harrowing moment she witnessed the floodwaters surging towards her home. "The water appeared around the corner like smoke," she said, recalling the desperate shouts of people urging others to escape. Those who could flee lived to tell the tale, while those who couldn't were swept away by the overwhelming force of the flood.

Upon their return days later, Gita and her community found themselves in a completely unfamiliar world. Their home, motorbikes, important documents, and savings were all washed away, leaving them with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Gita's 17-year-old daughter, Rishika, had been away in Kathmandu when the disaster hit and returned as soon as she heard the news. "The tsunami came and took everything," she lamented, deeply grateful that her parents were safe.

The devastation in Bidur is far from unique. Along the riverbed, the remnants of homes and businesses lie submerged in mud, a stark testament to the destructive power of the floodwaters. Residents are sifting through the debris in search of belongings, while efforts are underway to recover a safe containing buried money. Despite the scale of the destruction, Bidur has been fortunate enough to remain accessible by road, making it a crucial link for delivering relief to those cut off by the disaster.

Humanitarian and rescue efforts are being coordinated from the local army barracks, where helicopters are a constant presence, ferrying rescue teams and relief supplies to remote communities and airlifting survivors from areas isolated by the floods. As news spreads of survivors being airlifted to safety, Bidur has also become a rallying point for families desperately searching for their missing loved ones. Among the volunteers is Bishal, who left his job with a driving union to help those affected by the disaster.

With food supplies running low, Bishal initiated a free food distribution, initially catering to around 600 people and later expanding to feed approximately 1,500 individuals. The true extent of the disaster remains unclear, and volunteers fear the number of those in need could continue to rise as the full scale of the devastation becomes apparent.