The disaster struck amid severe Nepal-Tibet floods that left remote communities isolated, prompting emergency responses from international agencies like the UN World Food Programme.
Racing the Torrent Near the Tibet Border
Mr Hamal, 46, was stationed at a hydropower plant near the Upper Trishuli river when colleagues working approximately 10 kilometres upstream relayed a desperate warning over the radio. At about 8:30 a.m., an upstream worker shouted over the radio network to run for safety as a massive flood surged down the valley. Mr Hamal and his team immediately evacuated their office camp, stepping into an environment marked by intense confusion and panic.
According to ABC News, Mr Hamal and six colleagues piled into a vehicle to drive downstream. They traveled just 700 meters before a wall of muddy water closed in directly behind them. Describing the terrifying sequence, Mr Hamal noted that it resembled something out of a Hollywood film. The group abandoned the vehicle and scrambled on foot toward higher ground just ahead of the initial wave.
Escaping on a Boulder as the Earth Shook
While the initial advance allowed several workers to reach temporary safety, the disaster claimed the lives of two colleagues—a driver and a cook—who were swept away before they could reach elevated ground. Verified video footage circulating online showed the base camp with its red rooftops destroyed by the flash flood minutes after the group fled. Seeking shelter on a large boulder, the five surviving workers faced an even graver threat when the ground beneath them began shaking violently as a second, larger flood wave approached.
“We were afraid that the rocks around us might fall… fortunately no rock fell and we were able to survive and stay there safely,” Mr Hamal recounted to ABC News. Stranded in the middle of the jungle covered in mud, the survivors spent a harrowing night before a rescue helicopter evacuated them the following day to an army barracks and eventually back to Kathmandu.
Widespread Devastation and Ongoing Search Efforts
The human and structural toll of the flash floods extends far beyond Mr Hamal’s immediate camp. Hundreds of hydropower workers remain missing across the region, while remote communities struggle with severe isolation and loss of infrastructure (NZ Herald). Symbolic funerals have been held for those feared lost, even as some missing tourists manage to establish contact (Stuff).
Refusing to stay idle, Mr Hamal and another survivor, geologist Harichandra Budhathoki—who left his site hours before the disaster due to a medical emergency—joined search and recovery operations.
