Authorities in Nepal have issued urgent warnings for potential fresh flooding this Sunday, urging residents in affected districts to maintain a state of high alert. The advisory follows a concerning rise in water levels within the Bhotekoshi River, with official notifications sent directly to residents' mobile phones throughout the morning.
While rescue teams are actively working to clear the Prithivi Highway—a vital supply route for fuel, food, and other essential goods traveling to Kathmandu—recovery efforts remain hampered by the scale of the destruction. Although much of the highway is operational, specific sections continue to present significant repair challenges.
In the town of Galchhi, residents have sought safety on a nearby bridge to monitor the surging river. Observers pointed to massive rocks carried downriver during the initial deluge, while others standing on suspension bridges were cautioned to move away by rescue workers using whistles. The landscape in the worst-hit areas is now dominated by thick, grey-brown sediment, with entire homes, vehicles, and farm tractors partially buried. Along the riverside, rice terraces have suffered extensive landslides, with segments of the fields being swept away into the water.
For those living in the flood-ravaged villages, the ongoing threat of secondary disasters has become a source of profound exhaustion. Local resident Govind Shreshta described the difficulty of responding to constant alarms, often occurring at night under heavy rain. "It’s really difficult for me. I have a 72-year-old father and a 70-year-old mom. I must carry them, and I am exhausted. It’s going on like this for those who are still alive," Shreshta said.
The physical landscape has been permanently altered by the loss of both large concrete and smaller suspension bridges, leaving many communities isolated. Sattan Singh Tamang, 47, who was working near a bridge when the initial flooding occurred on Wednesday, noted the dire situation for those cut off from assistance. "Those that are there are now stuck there. Those who are here are stuck here. It’s going to be very difficult," he said. Furthermore, homes and businesses that survived the initial water surge remained without electricity on Sunday, with tangled power lines and damaged poles littering the mud-covered terrain.
“Sometimes they say a flood is coming, then we have to run again to higher ground, even at night. There is also rain,” said local resident Govind Shreshta. “It’s really difficult for me. I have a 72-year-old father and a 70-year-old mom. I must carry them, and I am exhausted. It’s going on like this for those who are still alive.”
