Nearly three weeks after deadly flash floods swept through Nepal's Bhotekoshi-Trishuli river corridor near the Chinese border, the Himalayan nation is shifting from search-and-rescue operations to relief and reconstruction efforts. Authorities in Nepal say at least 1,386 bodies have been recovered across five affected districts, while more than 5,130 people are still missing. The latter figure includes 587 foreign nationals and around 900 workers employed in hydropower tunnels and other energy facilities.
The deluge, which authorities say was triggered by a glacier collapse, devastated communities and swept away more than a dozen hydropower facilities. As search operations continue in submerged tunnels and along muddy riverbanks, families are growing increasingly desperate for news of missing loved ones. The scale of human loss is particularly stark in the upper river basins, where entire settlements vanished within minutes.
In many places, destroyed roads and bridges have cut off access, forcing rescue and relief teams to rely on helicopters to deliver essential supplies. Niranjan Paudyal, a resident of Sole village in Nepal's Nuwakot District who lost his parents, uncle, aunt and sister in the flash floods, said the flood took away even the chance of burying his family members. "We spent days searching through debris, hoping for signs of my missing parents and family," he told DW.
"Sadly, the disaster left us with no choice but to perform their final rites without their bodies." Public land in Uttargaya Rural Municipality in Rasuwa District has either been washed away or rendered unsafe. "There is not even land left after the flood to perform the final rites of those who lost their lives," Chameli Gurung, the municipality's deputy chair, told DW. "Relatives have to travel to Kathmandu's Pashupati Aryaghat to perform the final rites." In Uttargaya alone, at least 618 houses were swept away or buried and 877 people remain missing.
Only 12 bodies have been recovered. Gurung said local authorities are exploring the possibility of leasing private land to accommodate displaced families before winter. Nepal's communication minister, Bikram Timilsina, told DW that affected people are being resettled close to their original homes by securing nearby public or private land and providing financial assistance based on household size until they can become self-reliant.
As emergency relief efforts begin to stabilize, Nepal faces a massive financial burden. A preliminary rapid damage and needs assessment (RDNA) puts the total reconstruction requirement at about 723.3 billion Nepalese rupees ($4.78 billion, €4.1 billion), according to local media reports. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The RDNA estimates that nearly two thirds of the funds will go into restoring energy and transport networks and academic facilities.
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