Nepal floods: Survivors return as death toll crosses 750, 2,500 missing

Survivors are returning to flood-ravaged towns in Nepal as rescuers search for the missing. The scale of loss, with hundreds dead and thousands untraced, has turned recovery into a long struggle.Stock photo used for illustrationSurvivors across flood-hit parts of Nepal have begun returning to damaged towns and homes after the August 26 flash floods that started near the Nepal-Tibet border and moved downstream through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river system. The floods left heavy destruction across northern and central Nepal, with the death toll crossing 750 on Sunday and more than 2,500 people still missing.Families are searching for missing relatives, rescue teams are trying to reach people stranded in affected areas, and many residents are sorting through mud and debris to recover whatever they can. In Galchhi and further downstream in Nuwakot and Trishuli, people described homes, markets, schools and other buildings being swept away within minutes.In Galchhi, Nayan Tiwari, a Class 11 student, returned with his cousin Nivi Tiwari to clear their flood-damaged home and save whatever could still be used. "Everything was here before, but now there is nothing left," Nayan said. Galchhi, in Dhading district of Bagmati province, is about 50 km northwest of Kathmandu.Nayan told PTI Videos he was in Kathmandu when the flood struck. After hearing what had happened, he told his family in Galchhi to leave the house and move to safer, higher ground. Soon after they left, the flow grew stronger and swept away everything in its path. The basement of the house was filled with sand, while mud and debris entered the first floor, including the kitchen and bedrooms. Nayan said more than 15 houses near their home were completely washed away. "It feels really bad. But we will rebuild it. We will work hard and make the house like it was before," he said. For the Tiwari family, the house holds nearly a decade of memories from their childhood and the years they spent together there. Nivi said she was in Kathmandu when she first heard about the floods and felt devastated when she returned. "I had never seen such a devastating flood before. When I came back and saw my house, I felt completely helpless," she told PTI Videos. Even so, she said the family had started clearing the debris. "We are working hard with our family to make this house like it was before. We will repair it soon because our childhood was spent here. We learned to walk and read in this house. Now it has been badly damaged, but we will rebuild it," she said. The family is relying on relief materials for some immediate food and other basic needs.The scale of the destruction was also visible downstream in Nuwakot, where the Bhotekoshi from Rasuwa meets the Trishuli river. Local resident Raju Amatya said the flood reached the area about 45 minutes after it hit Rasuwa at around 9.30 am on Wednesday. Amatya, who runs a medical facility in Trishuli, said most houses in five markets - Trishuli, Dhunge Bazar, Devighat, Tupche and Shanti Bazar - were swept away. He said the water level in the Trishuli rose as high as 30 metres and the torrent carried away houses, shops, school buildings, vehicles and people. "At least 500 houses were either swept away or dismantled," Amatya said, adding that at least 500 people were missing from the area. He said about a dozen school buildings were also swept away. "The local administration sounded the alarm some 45 minutes earlier, but most people did not have time to run away." He added that the Central Jail in Trishuli was also buried. "Everything was swept away in minutes." The markets of Trishuli and nearby areas now appeared largely deserted, with thick layers of mud and debris across the affected places.Betrawati and Trishuli are also on the main route used by pilgrims travelling to Gosaikunda in Rasuwa. There were also reports that several buses travelling from Kathmandu and neighbouring districts had gone missing along the Betrawati-Trishuli road section, though PTI could not independently verify them. In Trishuli, people were seen searching through wreckage for belongings and relatives as they walked across thick mud left by the floodwaters.At Devighat, displaced families gathered at an emergency relief camp for food, shelter and other help. A catering worker at the camp told PTI Videos that meals were being prepared for survivors and would continue for as long as needed. "We will not say that the food supply has ended. Whoever comes here will be provided free meals," the worker said. At a teaching hospital in Kathmandu, relatives gathered near the morgue as posters and photographs of flood victims were put up in the hope of identifying loved ones who remained missing. Bodies carried away by the floodwaters have been recovered far downstream, stretching the search across districts.Among those missing are eight men from Bihar's Samastipur district who were working at a tyre and hardware shop in the Battar area of Nuwakot, according to their associates. Sandesh Poddar told PTI Videos that the eight had been missing since the floods and that their mobile phones were also unreachable. His friend Ajay said the road from Galchhi towards Rasuwa had been blocked, making it difficult to travel further in search of them.Some survivors also recalled narrowly escaping the floodwaters. Ranjitha Vinay Kumar, who returned to Kerala's Nedumbassery airport on Sunday, said she saw huge trees being swept away. "It's a blessing that we escaped and survived," she told PTI Videos. Another pilgrim, Vineeth Kumar, said he saw water rushing through the affected area with tremendous force. "About 500-600 metres away, we saw water gushing out like a tsunami," he said.As rescue efforts continue, survivors in places such as Galchhi, Trishuli and Devighat are trying to recover from the damage, search for missing relatives and begin rebuilding homes and lives after one of the worst floods to hit the region.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 30, 2026 18:06 IST