Nothing left standing in Nepal valley after catastrophic floods

In the Trishuli River valley of Nepal, a once bustling area has been left utterly desolate following a catastrophic flood, according to aerial photographs. Rescue workers are currently struggling to reach hundreds of individuals trapped in hydroelectric power plants. Reuters photographer Navesh Chitrakar reported that the landscape has become a grey expanse, with the ground hardened into concrete-like consistency or transformed into a slippery wet mass. No signs of human settlement are visible across vast areas.

At the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower plant, excavators are attempting to move massive boulders from the mouth of a tunnel. However, the opening is too narrow for Nepali rescue workers to enter by crawling. Authorities estimate that around 900 people are trapped inside six hydropower plants as a result of the flood. The glacier collapse that triggered the disaster occurred last Wednesday and led to a wave of mud, rock, and water, killing over 1,200 people.

Villages like Syabrubesi, once a popular gateway for Himalayan treks, are now a layer of grey mud with only a few buildings still standing. The flood waters are said to have climbed up to 500 meters above normal levels, as evidenced by the looming mountains on both sides of the Trishuli River.

At the Gyirong border gate, where surveillance footage showed people fleeing just seconds before a mudslide engulfed the crossing between China and Nepal, rescue workers can be seen in red uniforms alongside heavy machinery. However, Chitrakar noted that there was nothing left standing, from buildings to the gate to the bridge.