‘Haven’t Found A Trace’: Families Search For Missing Loved Ones In Aftermath Of Nepal Floods
Kathmandu: As the search for missing people continues after the devastating Nepal flash floods, survivors keep the hope alive that they will find their loved ones soon.
Flood-affected resident Dinesh told IANS, “We have been living in Trishuli for 17 years. We have a scrap business and had a warehouse, which collapsed. Two of our brothers are also missing, and we have not been able to contact them yet.”
“On August 26, we were near the China border and saw the flood, so we called them (his brothers) and told them to run. However, now we are not able to find them. We have been searching for the past three days, but we haven’t found a trace of them,” he said.
A woman affected by the devastating floods told IANS, “We had received information to go towards Bidur. We were told that the water had risen. The water came up quite high here. The police told us not to go from here and sent us back. Our entire family was sleeping in the house. We somehow managed to reach a higher place, but when the water came, we could not even take our belongings out.”
The death toll from the flash floods in Nepal rose to 616 on Saturday morning, while hundreds of people continued to remain missing, local media reported, citing officials.
According to a report by leading Nepalese daily The Kathmandu Post, police had recovered 233 bodies in Chitwan, 158 in Nawalparasi East, 48 in Gorkha, 47 in Nawalparasi West, 45 in Dhading, 41 in Nuwakot, 31 in Tanahun and 13 in Rasuwa as of 6 a.m. on Saturday.
Meanwhile, search and rescue operations continued across several flood-affected districts of the Himalayan nation as authorities worked to locate missing people and assist those stranded by the devastating floods.
Officials said police teams were coordinating with local residents and other agencies to trace those still unaccounted for and provide assistance to people affected by the disaster.
Speaking to IANS, Nepal Police ASI Rahul Sunar said, “The rescue operation is underway here. We are on duty in Nuwakot. We haven’t found any survivors yet, nor have we found any dead bodies.”
“Our main focus is to clear the road. We are also rescuing people from their homes. We don’t know how long the rescue operation will continue. The rescue operation is still underway,” he added.
The massive flash flood that struck Nepal’s Rasuwa on Wednesday originated in the Tibetan region of China. It swept through the transboundary Bhote Koshi River, leaving a trail of destruction in the country.
The bodies are being recovered from the riverbanks in several downstream districts along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading. Chitwan, Gorkha, Tanahun, Nawalparasi (East) and Nawalparasi (West).
The officials said that the death toll is expected to rise as the search and rescue operations continue.
(IANS)
