‘We are just waiting’: Nepal flood leaves family searching for 5 missing men in Rasuwa

In Nepal’s flood-hit Rasuwa district, Chanchali Bik spends her days waiting for news of five members of her family who went missing after the Bhotekoshi river flash flood on August 26.

From a hillside in Dhunche, the district headquarters, she watches helicopters land, hoping one of them will bring back her husband, Ramesh Bik, or any of the other missing members of her family.

Her husband worked as a driver in Timure. Her brother-in-law was also planning to cross into China for work when the disaster struck.

Waiting for good news

Every morning, Chanchali keeps her eyes fixed on the two helipads above Dhunche. Whenever a helicopter arrives from Rasuwagadhi, Timure, or Syabrubesi, she tries to get as close as possible to the copters, hoping to see a familiar face among the survivors.

On the morning of August 26, Chanchali spoke to her husband at around 7.30 am. He was fine. Her brother-in-law called around the same time and spoke about plans to cross into China for work.

Also Read: Nepal floods: Missing persons count spikes to 4,247 as rescue ops enter Day 6

Fewer than 20 minutes later, the roar of the flood echoed through the valley. Chanchali immediately tried calling Ramesh, but his phone was switched off. The line has remained dead ever since.

“When the children see a helicopter, they say, ‘Helicopter uncle, drop our father here... Our house is here.’ What answer do I give them? Everything is lost. On what basis are we supposed to live now?” asked Chanchali.

Five missing breadwinners

Chanchali says the family came to Dhunche to file a report with the administration. Five days after the men were washed away, there was still no word about their whereabouts.

“We came here to file a report with the administration. It has been five days now since they were washed away. We used to earn in the morning and eat in the evening. Now all the brothers are gone. We are just waiting... even if it’s just to see if a body comes back,” said Chanchali.

Also Read: Nepal’s deadliest disasters: From earthquakes to flash floods and avalanches

The disaster did not take just one member of her family. Chanchali says five male members of her household are missing — her husband, two brothers-in-law, her son-in-law, and her father-in-law.

All of them worked as drivers or daily-wage labourers and were the family's breadwinners.

Daily struggle made more difficult

The search for those missing in Rasuwa continues amid the destruction caused by the Bhotekoshi flood. Contemporary reports have recorded hundreds of people out of contact in the affected areas, with rescue operations continuing across the flood-hit region.

Also Read: Nepal floods: Survivors recall terrifying escapes from raging waters

In this pocket of Rasuwa alone, around 30 people remain missing after the floods.

For families like Chanchali’s, survival was already a daily struggle. Now, with the family’s main earners gone and helicopters continuing to land without her loved ones, she is left caring for her young children and waiting for an answer.