I have no idea whether my three relatives are alive or dead: Nepali student in Bangladesh

Three relatives of Tara Thapa Magar had travelled to work in one of the affected districts before the disaster struck Nepal. There has been no news of them since the flash floods. Their phones are switched off and they cannot be contacted. No one in the family knows where they are or how they are.

Sitting in Chattogram, Tara is spending every moment in anxiety. She said, “I have no idea whether my three relatives are alive or dead. I am sitting here, far from my country, simply waiting. What could be more helpless than this?”

Twenty-year-old Tara is a final-year student in the Department of Public Health at the Asian University for Women in Chattogram. Her home is in Khanda Devi Municipality of Ramechhap district, Nepal. She spoke to Prothom Alo on Thursday evening. Tara said, “I am terrified and worried. I never imagined anything this horrific could happen.”

Flash floods and landslides caused heavy loss of life in Nepal on Wednesday. According to the latest reports from local media, the death toll in Nepal has risen to 469. Around 1,400 people are still missing across Nepal and Tibet. A large number of them are foreign tourists and pilgrims travelling to Kailash-Manasarovar.

Preliminary assessments suggest that a large mass of ice, rocks and earth near the Tibetan border fell into a river, triggering a powerful surge of mud and rocks through the Bhotekoshi basin. The surge flowed downstream through the Trishuli River, causing extensive damage to settlements, roads, bridges and power infrastructure. Rescue operations are still under way in remote areas. The floods have directly affected three districts.

The authorities at the Asian University for Women said 40 students from Nepal are studying at the university. Since the disaster, they have been trying to contact their families. Some are sharing verified information and emergency contact numbers, while others are organising efforts to collect aid for people affected by the disaster.

Tara first learnt about the floods on Facebook. As soon as she saw the news, she tried to contact her family members and relatives. She managed to speak to close family members living in the city, who are safe. However, she could not contact her relatives in the village because of internet connectivity problems.

The area where Tara’s family lives is also safe so far. There have been no reports of major damage. However, communications have broken down in the district where her three missing relatives were working. Disruptions to phone networks and road links have made it difficult to obtain reliable information.

Referring to these circumstances, Tara told Prothom Alo, “At first, I was very frightened. I could not reach my relatives by phone. No one could say where they were or what had happened to them. Apart from my three relatives, the other members of my family are safe.”

Tara is also worried that flooding could begin in her own area. But her greatest concern now is for her three missing relatives. She said, “Like my family, many families are waiting for news of their missing loved ones. The most urgent task now is to find them.”

Sushmita Roka, a resident of Tanahun, Nepal, is also a final-year student in the Public Health Department at Asian University for Women. Her parents are safe in Kathmandu, and their home in Tanahun has not suffered any major damage. However, people she knows have been affected by the disaster.

One of Sushmita’s neighbours, an army officer, was caught in the floods. The uncle of a close friend of hers had been working in Rasuwa. He has been unreachable since the disaster.

Sushmita told Prothom Alo, “I called home as soon as I heard the news. I felt somewhat relieved after learning that my parents were safe. But someone I know is still missing. It is painful to think about what his family must be going through.”

Sushmita received news of the floods through the media and social media within an hour of the incident. Since then, she has been regularly checking on her family and acquaintances.

She said she had learnt that bodies swept downstream from the affected areas were also being recovered from the Trishuli River in Tanahun. This has spread panic among people living along the river. She also learnt that identifying the rescued bodies has become a major challenge.

Sushmita said, “Some are searching for their relatives, while others are waiting for a phone call. Bodies are being found in some places, but their identities remain unknown. Families at least want to know where their loved ones are.”

Nepali students in Bangladesh are now trying to support one another. Sushmita said the Women Nepali Students’ Organisation Bangladesh, in coordination with the Nepal Embassy, is sharing the official online donation address of the Nepal government. They are also appealing for support for rescue, relief, medical treatment, shelter and rehabilitation.

Sushmita said, “We cannot go to Nepal and stand beside the people there. But we are trying to ensure that accurate information and appeals for assistance reach people.”

No one in Anita Timalsina’s family, who are from Lalitpur, Nepal, has been directly affected. Their home is far from the flood-hit areas. However, images and videos of the devastation circulating on social media have left her deeply distressed.

Anita, 22, is a third-year Public Health student. She said, “My mind is in Nepal. I cannot concentrate on anything. Images and videos of the floods keep flashing before my eyes. Sitting so far away, I feel completely helpless.”

Anita first saw news of the floods on Facebook. She then contacted her family and learnt that everyone was safe. However, the scale of the disaster has left them shocked as well.

Anita said, “I saw pictures and videos of the floods on Facebook. It is a terrible incident. No one could have imagined such a disaster. So many people have lost their homes, land, families and livelihoods. Sitting far away, I am only trying to imagine what they must be going through.”

The three students believe that, alongside rescue operations, shelter, food, clean water, clothing and medicines are among the most urgent needs in the affected areas. They have called for missing people to be found quickly and for rescuers to reach those who remain stranded.

Anita said, “In such difficult times, even a small act of support can mean a great deal to someone. I hope Bangladesh and the international community will stand beside the people affected in Nepal.”