Kathmandu, August 30: The death toll from the devastating floods in Nepal continues to rise as rescue teams race against time to save lives. Amid this tragedy, a relative of an affected family shared a heartbreaking story, revealing that four family members were swept away in mere seconds, leaving only a cousin alive.
In Nuwakot district, Tularam Gurmir consoled his cousin, the sole survivor of the family. He recounted, “He is my aunt’s son. His entire family was swept away. Everyone in the family perished—his mother, father, sister, and his sister’s son. He survived only because he stepped outside for tea.”
The local youth further explained, “As soon as he saw the landslide, he ran to alert his family, but it was too late. He couldn’t save them.”
Gurmir mentioned that his cousin is in no condition to speak. “Everything related to his family, from their home to their livelihood, has been washed away,” he said.
Meanwhile, families of flood victims gathered at the post-mortem block of the Tribhuvan University Institute of Medicine in Kathmandu. Posters with information about the victims were displayed in the hospital’s morgue as families awaited updates.
One family member of a victim stated, “The security personnel asked us to wait for a while, and then we will identify the body for the cremation process.”
A brother of a missing army officer from Janakpur district showed his picture while waiting outside the hospital morgue. Another relative of a missing person shared that the family has no idea whether he is alive or dead.
“We last spoke to him on Wednesday at around 8:45 AM. Since then, there has been no contact. We still call for updates, but there has been no response. Officials say they are trying to gather information. We have no contact or information about whether he is alive,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) of Nepal reported that the severe floods that struck on August 26 have claimed 734 lives so far, with 2,498 individuals still missing, including 589 foreign nationals.
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