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

In the flood-ravaged Nuwakot District of Nepal, bodies arrive at the morgue at a pace surpassing the ability of families to claim them. The journey from Kathmandu to the affected area via mountain road takes three hours, but the sight upon arrival is already grim. The Trishuli River that once nourished the town now roars with an unstoppable force, carrying away everything in its path.

Dunghe Bazaar, located 20 kilometers south of the UT-1 hydropower plant site where nine Koreans are still missing, has been submerged in a vast swamp. The first floor of a two-story house near the river is hidden beneath sludge so thick it's difficult to walk on. Ayushman Kuinkel, a volunteer from Nepal Scouts, warns of the risk of getting sucked down due to the mud's depth.

In Devighat, a village six to seven kilometers downstream, the impact of the flood is even more devastating. Half-buried houses, broken branches, and shattered stonework litter the streets, along with a foul smell emanating from the scene. Dipak Chitrakar, a 54-year-old electronics shop owner, recounts how he lost nearly all his belongings, having saved for 15 years to open his store.

The villagers have taken refuge at a local school, which is now overcrowded with displaced individuals. Sabita Pariwar, a 28-year-old mother of a 5-year-old, had to evacuate her home with her son after being ordered to do so. She lost contact with her family members who stayed behind and fears for her 3-year-old daughter's fate.

Hospitals in Kathmandu, Nepal's largest medical institution, are overwhelmed with the wounded and anxious families seeking information about their loved ones. Yubaraj Lama, whose older sister, brother-in-law, and several children have passed away, desperately seeks answers for his 3-year-old niece, whose fate remains unknown. Amar Lamjel, whose 27-year-old brother is missing from a construction site in Rasuwa, expresses his frustration at being unable to contact Doosan Power and Enerbility for information.

The medical facilities are struggling to cope with the influx of bodies, with photographs displayed at Kanti Children's Hospital indicating that the morgue is dangerously close to running out of space.