Amid loss and uncertainty, Nepal flood survivors turn rescuers to help others

Still grieving, searching and waiting for answers, survivors of Nepal’s devastating floods have returned to the front lines — helping rescue and support others even as their own loved ones remain missing.

Sudip Kumar Neupane, 31, survived the 26 August floods in Rasuwa but lost his younger brother and a close colleague when a wall of floodwater swept through the area.

After spending two days mourning, Neupane returned to the relief effort, helping distribute food and other assistance to displaced families as local authorities struggled with a shortage of staff, The Kathmandu Post reported on Saturday.

The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, tore through towns and villages across northern and central Nepal on 26 August. More than 1,300 people have been killed, while around 5,000 remain missing.

Neupane had been helping warn villagers about the approaching flood when he was caught in the torrent with his 27-year-old brother Pradip and acquaintance Janak.

The three were rushing towards safety after receiving warnings about the flood when the water struck. Pradip and Janak were swept away, while Neupane managed to survive by running uphill.

Two days later, he put his grief aside and returned to help displaced residents in need of food and shelter.

“I survived by luck. For as long as I live, I will continue serving society and the people,” Neupane was quoted as saying.

In neighbouring Nuwakot, Suchit Joshi has also continued search-and-rescue operations even as four members of his own family — his wife, seven-year-old daughter, sister-in-law and nephew — remain missing, OnlineKhabar reported.

While searching for his relatives, Joshi found his uncle and another nephew. His personal search soon grew into a broader rescue mission after five others joined him.

Together, they helped people trapped by floodwaters and rescued an elderly woman who had been stranded in front of her house.

Joshi has continued searching for his missing family members alongside security personnel. During one operation, three bodies were recovered from the Trishuli River, but they were too badly damaged to be identified.

Yet amid his own anguish and uncertainty, Joshi has continued helping other survivors.

“I am enduring it and still continuing with the rescue work,” he said.

For survivors like Neupane and Joshi, the disaster has brought devastating personal loss. But even as they wait for news of their loved ones, they have chosen to turn their grief into a lifeline for others.

With PTI inputs