A catastrophic flash flood originating near the Nepal-Tibet border has caused widespread devastation, claiming at least 160 lives and leaving hundreds of people missing, including several foreign nationals. Torrential currents of mud, water, and massive boulders swept away entire settlements and damaged crucial regional infrastructure. Emergency response teams operating under challenging conditions have rescued more than 114 individuals, transferring them to medical facilities across Kathmandu and Rasuwa. Amidst the chaos, a miraculous story of survival emerged involving Bibek Kumal, a 24-year-old Nepalese laborer from Rasuwa district, who managed to escape death by holding onto a mango tree.
A Battle for Survival Starting in a Five-Foot Pit
Bibek Kumal was working in the low-lying town of Bidur when the disaster struck without warning. He was digging a 5-foot-deep pit for an outdoor toilet outside a newly constructed house. While working inside the pit, he noticed an unfamiliar whispering sound in the distance. Realizing the sudden danger, four of his co-workers standing outside began shouting urgently for him to get out of the pit and run for his life.
Scrambling out of the 5-foot excavation immediately, Kumal began sprinting toward safety. However, the sheer speed of the oncoming deluge left him with almost no time to escape. Describing the moment from his hospital bed, he recalled sprinting as a wall of water collapsed with a deafening roar resembling a powerful earthquake. The torrent of thick mud and debris instantly engulfed him, sweeping him away down the flooded path.
The Mango Tree and the Sight of Destruction
As the swift current dragged Kumal through the rubble, he collided with the branches of a mango tree and desperately clung to them. Explaining his narrow escape, Kumal said, "Fortunately I got caught in a mango tree; otherwise, I would have washed away and died." Clinging to the branches amidst the surging waters, he watched in horror as the newly built home where he had been working moments earlier vanished completely into the floodwaters.
During the ordeal, the forceful rush of water jammed a large boulder against Kumal, causing serious injuries to his right leg. He managed to hold on until Nepalese police officers located him and executed a daring rescue. Kumal was subsequently rushed to the National Trauma Center in Kathmandu, where he is currently undergoing medical treatment.
An 11-Year-Old Schoolgirl Recounts Her Rescue
Among the survivors admitted to regional medical centers is 11-year-old Rehana Lamichhane, who was caught in the deluge while returning home from school. As she attempted to cross a local river, the water level surged abruptly, sending a powerful wave of water rushing downstream toward her. Rescue personnel intervened quickly to pull her out of the torrent before she was carried away.
Reflecting on the terrifying experience from her hospital bed, Rehana recalled how the river suddenly swelled as she was crossing. She shared her feelings of relief alongside deep worry for her classmates, stating, "I am happy to be safe, but I do not know what happened to my friends." Numerous families across the affected districts continue to search frantically for children and relatives who remain unaccounted for.
Earthquake, Debris Swells, and Emergency Operations
Preliminary investigations by local authorities indicate that the flash flood was triggered when a massive volume of mud and rocks collapsed into the river system near the Nepal-Tibet border. The sudden blockage created a massive wall of trapped water that eventually broke through, inundating downstream settlements. Notably, a 4.4 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the region shortly before the flood hit, which experts believe may have triggered the initial landslide along the riverbank.
The deluge destroyed critical bridges, roads, and residential structures throughout Rasuwa district and neighboring valleys. Rescue operations remain fully active, with search personnel working through heavy mud to locate missing residents. Medical personnel at hospitals in Kathmandu and Rasuwa are attending to over 114 rescued survivors, while official casualty figures continue to climb past 160 deaths.
