"I lost 140 neighbors." Reporters visit the flood zone in Nepal

Four days after the devastating floods in the Himalayas, the scale of the catastrophe is becoming clear: in Nepal alone, by the morning of August 29, the number of dead had risen to 626 people. According to the disaster protection agency, 2426 people are still missing. China has so far reported seven dead and 554 missing in Tibet.

Bild reporters Axel Lier and Christian Spreitz arrived at the disaster site and spoke with local residents.

Businessman Rishi Pyakurel in Gherkhu village in Bidur district is considered a kind of mayor. For several days now, he has been almost continuously calling the police and trying to locate the missing by tracking their mobile phone signals.

Among the missing are his own sister, her husband, their son, and his wife.

They lived in Trishuli Bazaar – one of the settlements most severely affected by the floods.

"I lost over 140 neighbors in my village," says the businessman.

Hundreds of people died

According to Pyakurel, the disaster destroyed entire families. "There's no one left to cry," the man says. As he waits for news about his relatives, each day brings new information about the consequences of the disaster. Bodies are still lying on the banks of the Trishuli River: "Everywhere smells of decomposition."

There were warnings about the flash flood, Pyakurel recounts: "People were warned about the flash flood, but many first gathered their belongings and valuables, and then they were swept away [by the water] to their deaths."

Others simply underestimated the danger: "Some were taking selfies as the water rose."

In some places, the water level rose 20-30 meters above the riverbed: "It swept away everything and everyone."

Families flee to the mountains

While the search for the missing continues in the valleys, fear of a repeat disaster is growing. Authorities are warning of new flash floods – Lake Subrubhisi on the Chinese side threatens to overflow.

Many families are leaving their homes and seeking refuge in the mountains. Along the roadsides and in the forests above the valleys, people sit and wait for the situation to unfold. Among them is veterinarian Rajchardhan Rey, who fled to the mountains on a moped with his wife and three-year-old daughter.

"Today, after the warning, we left immediately," says Rey. "We only have a blanket and a small backpack with us. We don't know where we will sleep tonight."

He is particularly worried about feeding his daughter: "There is a lack of food, drinking water. We don't receive any help here. Our daughter needs to eat, but we have nothing – just like everyone else."

Heavy rains complicate rescue flights. When the weather permits, the military uses helicopters to evacuate the injured and survivors from the affected areas. According to people on the ground, the bodies of the deceased are not yet being recovered.

• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0