Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah, an ex-rapper popularly known as "Balen," is facing the enormous task of rebuilding communities and critical infrastructure following last week's deadly flash floods. The floods, carrying rock, ice, mud and debris, swept through areas near the Chinese border, ravaging entire towns and damaging hydropower plants. More than 900 people have been killed and nearly 4,800 remain missing, authorities said Monday, as rescue efforts entered a sixth day.
The devastating floods struck the Himalayan nation just days before the anniversary of the Gen-Z-led anti-corruption protests of September 8-9 last year that toppled the previous government and swept Shah to power. Now, the 36-year-old prime minister and his largely inexperienced cabinet face their first major national crisis in what is shaping up to be the country's worst disaster in a decade. Rescuers, including Chinese and Indian experts, believe hundreds of workers are trapped in tunnels at hydropower sites under construction that were buried in mud by the catastrophic flooding.
Sushila Giri was waiting for news of her son, Sishir, a Kathmandu University student completing an internship at one of the hydropower projects. "I came to know that my son, along with others, was at the quarter of the hydro project when the disaster happened," she told DW. "Please help me find his whereabouts." Gen Z activist Raksha Bam expressed concern about delays in rescuing workers trapped at hydropower projects and urged the government to seek specialized assistance from the international community.
Across affected districts, family members gathered in hospitals and temporary aid centers hoping for news of missing loved ones. Indra Adhikari lost her home and paddy fields in the floods. Four of her relatives remain missing.
She said rescue and relief efforts appeared concentrated in areas accessible by road and where media were present, particularly along one side of the Trishuli River. "Most of those who have come to Trishuli Bazar are not rescuers but onlookers," she told DW. "Remote settlements farther upstream and across the river remain difficult to reach." The administration itself has acknowledged that it was not fully prepared for a disaster of such scale, which is the deadliest for Nepal since a 2015 earthquake killed thousands and injured many more.
"On the very first day, we got a bit confused as to how to deal with the crisis," Minister for Information and Communication Bikram Timilsina told DW after visiting the flood-hit area. "[From the] second day onwards, we have been putting all our efforts into swift search, rescue and relief works." Security agencies have received praise for their response, particularly their efforts to reach people in inaccessible areas via helicopters. But the disaster has also exposed questions about the government's crisis-management capacity and its relationship with Nepal's provincial and local governments.
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