Nepal flash floods toll crosses 700 as families return to ruins

Flash floods that tore through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river system in northern and central Nepal on August 26 have left widespread destruction, with the death toll crossing 700 on Sunday and around 2,500 people still missing. Across the affected areas, survivors have returned to damaged homes, families are searching for missing relatives, and rescue teams are trying to reach those stranded.

In Galchhi and other badly hit places, people are sifting through mud, sand and debris to recover whatever they can. At relief camps, displaced families are depending on food and shelter, while at a teaching hospital in Kathmandu, relatives have gathered near the morgue in the hope of identifying loved ones still untraced.

Among those trying to rebuild their lives are class 11 student Nayan Tiwari and his cousin Nivi Tiwari, who returned to their flood-hit home in Galchhi. Nayan told PTI Videos he was in Kathmandu when the flood struck and, after learning about the situation, immediately told his family in Galchhi to leave the house and move to a safer location at a higher elevation. Soon after they left, the water flow intensified and swept away everything in its path.