Nepal residents recount the devastating aftermath of flash floods, describing destroyed homes, businesses and markets. Despite government warnings, many underestimated the flood’s severity. Rescue teams continue clearing debris, recovering belongings and supporting affected communities after widespread destruction.
The devastating aftermath of flash floods in Nepal has left affected communities struggling to comprehend the scale of destruction, as residents return to areas where homes, shops, markets and businesses have been swept away by powerful floodwaters.
Several houses remain standing amid vast stretches of debris, but locals said almost everything inside their properties was destroyed. Residents of the affected areas on Monday recalled receiving warnings about the approaching floods through government messages, calls from relatives and other sources. However, many said they never imagined that the water would rise to such a dangerous level or reach areas they considered relatively safe.
Residents described the disaster as unprecedented, saying they had lost years of savings, businesses, household possessions and essential supplies within minutes.
One resident, who has lived in the area for four decades, said warnings had reached them before the flood. Government messages were sent to mobile phones, while some residents also received information from China and calls from friends living in higher areas.
Despite the warnings, he said people believed their homes were sufficiently far from the river and would remain safe. They were therefore unprepared for the volume and speed of the floodwaters.
Another resident who operated a grocery shop and several godowns said the warning arrived roughly 30 minutes before the floodwaters reached the area. He admitted that the seriousness of the warning was underestimated.
He said he, his wife and their three children were present when the situation suddenly became dangerous. As the water approached the Trishuli Bridge, the family fled. He estimated his financial losses at around Rs 1 crore to Rs 1.5 crore, with several storage facilities and his grocery business destroyed.
For another businessman dealing in potatoes, onions and food grains, the warning came only about five minutes before residents began fleeing.
He said six members of his family managed to escape safely, but virtually all their property was lost. The businessman said he could not recover even a single item from his premises.
“I could not even take out Rs 5,” he said, describing how clothes, jewellery, money and commercial stocks were swept away. His shop reportedly contained 20 to 25 tonnes of goods. A separate business dealing in gunny bags and a three-shutter work area were also destroyed.
The flood also washed away medicines purchased for his child from Kathmandu just four days earlier, he said, highlighting how the disaster destroyed not only commercial assets but essential household items.
Another resident said people received information around 15 to 20 minutes before the flood struck. Even that short warning, however, could not prepare residents for the magnitude of the disaster.
The old Dhunge Trishuli Market was among the places heavily affected. Locals described the market as an important commercial centre for people living in surrounding hill villages, who regularly travelled there to purchase essential goods.
According to residents, a hydropower plant had also stood near the market. The shopping area served communities from across the surrounding region, but much of the market has now been wiped out.
Residents also recalled a dramatic rescue involving a person who became stranded on the roof of a house as rapidly moving floodwaters surrounded the structure. The person reportedly remained trapped for an extended period, repeatedly calling for help while rescuers struggled to approach because of the powerful current.
Eventually, rescuers managed to reach the area and save the stranded individual. Locals said the house survived because of its strong construction, although many other homes in the vicinity remain vulnerable.
Rescue and relief operations have continued as authorities and local teams focus on clearing debris, recovering belongings and assessing the damage.
Mabaraj Thapa, a member of the rescue team from Likhu Rural Municipality, said personnel from the municipality’s Melmilap Department were continuing operations in the affected areas.
He said teams had already retrieved belongings from four houses and would continue working through the day before moving towards Devighat to assist with clearance operations.
Around 250 members of the municipality team were reportedly involved in the relief and rescue effort. Thapa said the immediate focus had shifted from rescue operations to recovering property and clearing damaged houses.
He also described the human toll as particularly distressing, saying some recovered bodies were severely decomposed and disfigured, making identification extremely difficult.
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The residents’ accounts underline the enormous challenge facing communities affected by the floods. While early warnings were issued, the speed, scale and force of the floodwaters left many people unable to protect their property or retrieve essential belongings.
For survivors, the destruction represents more than financial loss. Homes, livelihoods, markets and personal possessions accumulated over decades have disappeared, leaving communities dependent on continuing rescue, relief and recovery efforts.
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As cleanup operations continue, residents now face the difficult task of rebuilding their lives from almost nothing after the floodwaters transformed familiar neighbourhoods into scenes of widespread destruction.
