A narrow escape, a lost home: Nepal survivors recount terrifying mudslide

What the report says

Residents in Devighat, Nuwakot district, central Nepal, are describing how a powerful mudslide swept through homes, shops and roads after heavy flooding in the area. The report, published by The Independent Uganda and sourced to Xinhua, says families had only moments to flee as mud and floodwater rushed downhill, forcing some to escape on motorcycles and leave nearly all their possessions behind.

Santosh Thapa said his relatives survived by a narrow margin, while their house and his grandfather’s ground-floor shop were largely buried. The article says mud reached the first and second floors of some buildings, and that merchandise and household goods were destroyed. In the nearby town of Bidur and Trishuli Bazar, streets were covered in thick mud, bridges over the Trishuli River were washed away, and some residents returning to check on their homes had to walk barefoot through knee-deep sludge.

The report adds that rescue work has been hampered by damaged roads, destroyed bridges, poor communications and disrupted electricity. A military camp has been serving as a transfer point for stranded and injured people, with helicopters moving between the disaster zone and the camp. By Sunday morning, Nepal’s disaster authority said 734 bodies had been recovered and 2,498 people were still missing.

The article also notes concerns about disease in hot, humid conditions, especially where water, sanitation and cleanup remain incomplete. That context matters because the disaster has become not only a search-and-rescue emergency but also a public health concern for survivors who have lost homes, livelihoods and access to services.