Nepal’s devastating flash flood destroyed homes, roads, bridges and structures all around it — but one turquoise-colored house still stands intact. The house, in the Trishuli Bazar area of Nuwakot district, has become known on social media as the “miracle house” or the “green house.” With its main structure surviving the devastating flood, it is now being seen as a symbol of survival.
On August 26, part of a Himalayan glacier near the Nepal-China border broke off and crashed into the valley below, triggering the devastating flash flood. A powerful surge of ice, massive rocks, trees and mud swept down along the Trishuli River, washing away entire communities. Roads, bridges, buildings and communication infrastructure were destroyed. Many remote areas were cut off.
As of Monday, August 31, the death toll from the disaster in Nepal and China has risen to 908. More than 4,000 people remain missing.
Video that circulated on social media during the flood shows powerful currents of water and mud flowing through the lower floors of the house. The rushing water tore away doors and windows. But the family members who had taken shelter on the upper floor survived. Built with reinforced concrete, the house’s main structure withstood the powerful current.
The house’s residents are 45-year-old Prakash Pandey Pyakurel, his wife, their two children, and his elderly parents. When the flood struck, Prakash and his wife were at a shop near the house. Their seven-year-old son had left for school just 15 minutes earlier. Their 11-year-old daughter was getting ready for school at the time.
With the powerful surge of mud and water bearing down, the family had no time to reach a safe location. Prakash and his wife rushed back home from the shop. They were trapped inside the house for roughly two hours. Prakash’s wife said floodwater carrying ice, mud and debris was striking the house from all sides. The house was shaking, and they thought, in fear, that this might be the final moment of their lives.
She said: “We were terrified. I told everyone we would have to die together. But we got a new life. Everyone is calling it a miracle. We still can’t believe we survived.”
A member of the household later waved a red flag to catch the attention of rescue workers in a helicopter.
According to official information, the devastating flash flood surged down at 8:32 a.m. local time. At least four water-monitoring stations were destroyed within just a few minutes. The flood caused widespread destruction along a 168-kilometer stretch downstream of the Trishuli River. Nineteen bridges and roughly 40 kilometers of highway were damaged. More than 10 percent of the country’s power generation capacity was affected.
Local resident Keshab Prasad Baral said: “It wasn’t just water. A massive current of mud was rushing toward us.” He said he tried to save his wife by holding her hand, but in the end could not keep her from being swept away by the mud.