Kathmandu: A week after the devastating flash floods in Nepal, citizens, who are currently residing in temporary shelters after being rescued from affected areas, on Thursday described the trail of destruction in the aftermath of one of the biggest natural disasters that hit the Himalayan nation in over a decade.
Speaking to IANS, a man, now living in a temporary shelter at a monastery in Mustang, said nearly 80 per cent of his village, including the locals, have been wiped out.
“Our people were rescued from Timure and brought here with great difficulty. In our village, among the local population, nearly 200 people are untraceable and missing. Around 80 per cent are missing; only 20 per cent of us are here. Some who were living outside in Kathmandu or elsewhere are safe. Thousands of people have died or gone missing. The situation is extremely dire right now,” he said.
Recounting the tragedy, he said: “People were carrying out their regular routine when the flood struck; it was so huge that the entire village got swept away within two minutes…around eight to ten people could be rescued from there, the rest all were swept away.”
He appealed to national and international organisations for support, saying: “We have come to a zero level…our house, source of livelihood, everything is gone.”
In Trishuli, which was one of the worst-hit areas, a local said his house and shop were completely destroyed in the disaster.
“My house was located here, but everything is completely destroyed. Water entered up to the fifth story and ruined everything. All the goods in my shop were washed away. Water entered the upper rooms as well, but we managed to salvage a few things,” he told IANS, while adding that relief materials have arrived and reached people in the area.
Meanwhile, with internet connections and communication lines disrupted, the disaster has cut off the affected areas from the rest of Nepal and families across the world.
A telecom technician, who has been working to restore internet services in Trishuli, told IANS: “Everything is completely destroyed, so we came from Nepal Telecom to restore internet connections. We don’t have detailed information on how much damage occurred overall as we just arrived recently.”
Regarding the infrastructure, he said that equipment worth around Rs 6 to 7 lakh has been destroyed.
“Service in this area should be restored by today or tomorrow, but for areas further up, it will take at least three days or more — we cannot give an exact timeframe yet,” he added.
IANS
