[Reportage] ‘At capacity’: Influx of mourners left in the lurch in Nepal’s capital

In the ravaged Trishuli River valley of Nepal, scarcely anything remains standing after a devastating flood eight days ago. The once bustling area now appears as an endless grey expanse, devoid of any human settlement. Reaching the region by helicopter, Reuters photographer Navesh Chitrakar witnessed excavators struggling to move immense boulders from the mouth of a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower plant.

Due to the tunnel's narrow entry, Nepali rescue workers could only crawl inside. A last-minute flood warning reportedly saved around 900 students, as reported by the school head. Authorities estimate that about 900 individuals are trapped inside six hydropower plants in Nepal, following a glacier collapse that triggered a massive wave of mud, rock, and water through mountain valleys, resulting in over 1,200 deaths.

In villages such as Syabrubesi, once a hub for Himalayan treks with houses lining its path, only a layer of grey mud remains, with only a few buildings still visible. The apocalyptic scene reveals no signs of life, with Chitrakar noting that the floodwaters may have surged up to 500 meters above normal levels. At the Gyirong border gate, where surveillance footage captured people fleeing moments before a mudslide struck the crossing between China and Nepal, rescue workers in red uniforms and heavy machinery can be seen, yet the gate, bridge, and other structures are completely destroyed.