[Reportage] ‘May you live in heaven’: Grief racks Nepal as flood death count rises

As the flood's death toll in Nepal rose to nearly 1,000, the grief that gripped the nation was palpable. A woman, adorned in red, lamented the loss of her husband, Nawakul Sharma, whose body had been identified after nearly a week. Sharma, a customs official, was found in the Gorkha region, nearly 100 kilometers from the disaster's epicenter. His funeral took place amidst a thick cloud of smoke, a symbolic gesture of mourning.

The air was heavy with sorrow as survivors, some barely alive, faced the grim reality of their losses. Subhash Kolderga, who had miraculously survived the floods, expressed the collective despair. "Less than five seconds after hearing the sound of an earthquake, my truck started shaking violently," he recalled. "When I came to, my truck was bobbing on water." Kolderga's face reflected the pain of losing two friends in the disaster.

Gorakh Thapa, another survivor, lay in a hospital bed, his worries extending to his missing family members. His son was in critical condition, while other relatives remained unaccounted for. The hospital walls were adorned with flyers seeking information on missing loved ones. Yubaraj Lama's quest for his missing 3-year-old nephew underscored the desperate search for hope amidst the despair.