As floodwaters swept everything away in Nepal, one green house built in 1995 stood intact. People have given the house various names, including the “miracle house,” the “viral house” and the “flood-resistant house.” Its owner, 67-year-old Chhatra Bahadur Piyakurel, ran a grocery shop on the ground floor.
Piyakurel said he watched the destruction around him for more than an hour. He first watched from the balcony, and later, as the floodwaters grew higher and more dangerous, from the roof of the house. When the water eventually receded somewhat, neighbors came to rescue him and his family. Using metal pipes, they built a makeshift ladder to get them out of the house.
The green house, on the bank of the Trishuli River at Dhunge Bazar in Nuwakot, survived the devastating destruction around it. Many have gathered to see the green house, some taking selfies in amazement. Piyakurel said the house’s pillars were driven deep into the rock.