- Glacier collapse triggered a flood that killed over 1,200 people and left more than 4,200 missing.
- Claire Tamang, who has lived in Kathmandu since 2010, said the disaster has left communities 'traumatised'.
- Families in Kathmandu visit a hospital wall covered with photographs of missing relatives, hoping for news.
- Some families, having given up hope, cremate straw effigies at Pashupatinath Temple.
- Tamang described the flood as a fast-moving wall of mud, boulders and debris that travelled down through the valley.
- Entire settlements along one of Nepal's most important north-south corridors have been destroyed, with some towns 'completely flattened'.
- With more than 5,000 people still unaccounted for, social media in Nepal has filled with videos appealing for help in finding people.
- Tamang said many families feared the worst, but some hope remained, with reports of people still sheltering underground or stranded in forested areas.
- Sati Sigdel makes daily visits to a hospital wall in Kathmandu covered with photographs of missing relatives and unidentified bodies, hoping for news of her cousin.
- Despite the grim situation, Sigdel's hope remained undimmed in her vigil since Monday.
- At Pashupatinath Temple, Tapindra Prasad Timalsina performed a rite for his relative Sabin, illustrating the emotional impact of the disaster on families.
Communities in Nepal are grappling with the aftermath of catastrophic floods that have left over 4,200 people missing and claimed more than 1,200 lives. The disaster, triggered by a glacier collapse, has devastated entire settlements, with reports of towns being "completely flattened" and small riverside communities barely recognizable.1
Claire Tamang, a resident of Kathmandu, described the flood as a "fast-moving wall of mud, boulders and debris" that swept through the valley, disrupting food supplies and causing electricity outages due to the destruction of hydropower plants. She noted that the devastation extends far beyond the initial impact site, affecting communities across Nepal.5
Families are desperately searching for their loved ones, with social media flooded with appeals for help. Sati Sigdel visits a wall in Kathmandu's Tribhuvan University teaching hospital, covered in photographs of the missing and unidentified bodies, hoping for news of her cousin, one of the many unaccounted for. "We put up her photo three days ago, but we still haven't heard anything," she said.
Despite the grim situation, some families cling to hope. "There's still reports of people out in the forest somewhere, unable to contact anyone," Tamang said. However, as time passes, the number of missing continues to rise, and many families are forced to confront the possibility of loss, with some even conducting cremation rites for relatives they believe are gone.
“The disaster, triggered by a glacier collapse, killed more than 1,200 people and destroyed hydropower plants, disrupting electricity and raising food prices. At Pashupatinath Temple, some families cremated straw effigies after giving up hope, while others like Sati Sigdel maintain daily vigils.”
