Nepal Floods: Man Hunts Wife in Mud

In Betrawati, Nepal, Dil Bahadur Shrestha, 70, continues a desperate search for his wife, Jamuna, who is missing after devastating flash floods. Using only his hands, he sifts through the mud and ruins of their home, a testament to the scale of the tragedy that struck last week. The disaster, originating from a melting glacier high in the Himalayas, unleashed powerful floods down Nepal's Trishuli and Bhotekoshi rivers, engulfing Betrawati in mere minutes. Over 1,200 lives were lost in Nepal and Tibet, with thousands more reported missing, including Dil Bahadur's brother and sister-in-law. Rescue operations are significantly hampered by the destruction of bridges and highways, making access to many affected areas extremely difficult. Many survivors, like Santamaya Lawat, recount losing everything, with homes built with life savings now buried in mud. Further north, in Rasuwa district bordering Tibet, villages were completely swept away, and hundreds remain unaccounted for. Ground operations in Timure have recovered 90 bodies. Aid delivery is slow, with trucks stuck in Dhunche, hindering relief efforts. Children in the region have been particularly hard-hit, with many losing parents and some, like those from Nilakantha school, missing after walking to morning classes. Amidst the devastation, stories of survival offer glimmers of hope, such as a son rescued by the army after being feared lost.