[Reportage] In flood-hit Nepal, the dead arrive at morgues faster than families can claim them

A muddy torrent, tens of meters wide, rushes downstream, carrying sediment and debris in the murky flow. From Kathmandu, the Nepali capital, it takes three hours to reach Dhunge Bazaar in the Bidur municipality, Nuwakot District. Upon arriving on Sunday, the first striking sensation is not the horrifying sight but the deafening roar of the Trishuli River, which once nourished the town.

Dunghe Bazaar, situated around 20 kilometers south of the Upper Trishuli-1 (UT-1) hydropower plant construction site, where nine Koreans remain missing, has transformed into a deserted ghost town submerged in a vast swamp. A two-story house alongside the river is engulfed in sludge, rendering the first floor invisible. The thick mud poses a risk of being pulled down; locals attempting to recover household belongings are being sent away by volunteers.

Ayushman Kuinkel, a volunteer and Nepal Scouts member, explains the precariousness of the situation. Conditions worsen in Devighat, approximately six or seven kilometers south along the Trishuli River. The entrance is marred by a foul odor. Most two-story houses are half-buried in mud, while streets are strewn with broken branches, pale steel bars, and shattered stonework.

Amidst the chaos, an emergency response team moves a victim's body on a stretcher. Dipak Chitrakar, aged 54, is focused on cleaning and packing his electronics shop, nearly buried in mud, after recovering light bulbs and gas canisters. In his youth, he saved every penny to establish the store, which served as his livelihood for 15 years; however, little remains intact after the flooding.

The once-full cabinets along the walls now hold only dried mud. Reflecting on his experience, the shopkeeper lamented that he initially did not believe the evacuation order, as his wife had to physically drag him out. The subsequent day, intended for a street festival, is now lost forever. Devighat villagers have sought refuge in an elementary school in Bidur, which is overcrowded with displaced individuals.

Sabita Pariwar, 28, holds her 5-year-old son's hand tightly. She and her husband earned their living by transporting sand from the Trishuli River to construction sites. On hearing the evacuation call at 9 am, Pariwar grabbed her son and fled to higher ground. As she looks back, she sees the waters engulfing their house. With tears in her eyes, Pariwar pleads for help for her niece, whose fate remains uncertain.

Amar Lamjel, 39, informs that his 27-year-old brother is missing from the dam construction site in the Rasuwa region, built by Korea South-East Power and Doosan Enerbility. The younger brother worked for five years at the Doosan office, having developed strong bonds with the Koreans. Lamjel expresses his inability to contact any representatives at Doosan.

The influx of numerous victims and limited hospital facilities leads to a chaotic scene at Kanti Children's Hospital, adjacent to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. The hospital currently accommodates around 70 to 80 bodies, with the morgue facing imminent space constraints. The bodies arrive faster than families can claim them, as a hospital spokesperson lamented.