Nepal floods: ‘Bodies buried in slush, families denied food’, Khalsa Aid volunteers witness devastation

Thick mud engulfing houses, roads turned treacherous, the stench of decomposing human and animal bodies hanging in the air, and army camps turned into makeshift morgues where ambulances arrive with the dead – these are the scenes from Nepal’s flood-ravaged valleys, as described by Khalsa Aid volunteers working in the worst-hit areas.

For these volunteers, who have spent the past three days moving through the affected areas, the devastation along Nepal’s border with Tibet is hard to fathom. In Nuwakot, Rasuwa and Dhading, entire sections of villages and markets were buried under mud and debris after a flash flood tore through mountain valleys.

“Today, if you go, you won’t see water. But there is a lot of slush. Buildings are completely submerged in it. Many bodies are buried inside,” said Manohar Naidu, a native of Bengaluru who is currently in Nuwakot with Khalsa Aid.

“Even if we try to walk on the sides, we are sliding in the slush. The whole area now stinks with all the dead bodies of people and animals. The situation on the ground is really bad,” Mr Naidu said.

The disaster began on Wednesday (August 26) when part of a Himalayan glacier collapsed near the Nepal-China border, sending a mass of ice, rock and debris into the Lhende river system. The resulting wave swept through the Nepalese district of Rasuwa before moving downstream to Nuwakot and Dhading.

Volunteers capture devastation after flash floods in Nepal | Photo credit: By arrangement

On Saturday (August 29), the extent of the disaster became clear. At least 676 people have died in Nepal and Tibet, with nearly 2,400 missing. More than 3,700 people were rescued in Nepal, but large parts of the affected terrain remained difficult to access as roads and bridges were destroyed.

For those on the ground, however, the numbers do little to capture what disaster looks and smells like.

In Rasuwa and Nuwakot, army camps turned into makeshift morgues as hospital morgues ran out of space. Volunteers described convoys of ambulances arriving with bodies pulled from the wreckage, which are now being kept in camps before being sent for identification.

Families wait desperately outside the tents.

Some spent hours hoping to get news of relatives who disappeared when the flood came. Mr Naidu said many families refused even hot food – including rice, lentils, curry – offered by volunteers.

“They are not even willing to accept the food we offer them. They only want to know about their loved ones,” he said.

“Those who are with their families are still eating a little. Those who have lost their loved ones are not even willing to eat at all,” said Manpreet Singh, a volunteer from Patiala, Punjab.

Khalsa Aid volunteers serving food to affected families in Nepal | Photo credit: By arrangement

Mr Singh, who also worked during the floods in Assam and the cyclone in Tamil Nadu, traveled to Nepal with five other volunteers from Punjab.

Their team recently reached Gajuri Bajar in Dhading where they saw a large market area almost completely washed away.

“Locals told us that the market was active and full of people when the flood came. A lot of people were washed away and thousands are still missing,” he said.

Volunteers initially helped with rescue operations and body identification alongside the Lions Club, but were told by authorities on Saturday (August 29) that rescue operations would be handled by the military and outside organizations would not be able to take over.

Their role subsequently shifted towards helping and supporting those in military camps awaiting news of relatives. Khalsa Aid volunteers are currently providing hot meals, clothing and basic medical assistance in relief camps. One camp in Nuwakot shelters about 400 people, cared for by volunteers.

Among the people Mr Singh met was a 16-year-old girl who survived because her family had been given moments of warning before the floods.

“Her father got a call that a flood was coming and that they should leave the house. She was studying at the time. The family ran to safety. If they had stayed, they too could have been swept away. Now she has lost all hope and we don’t even know how to encourage them,” he said.

But the warning came too late for many others.

Whole houses now stand disconnected from the road and full of mud. In some places there is barely a shred of solid ground to stand on. Animal carcasses also remain scattered over the affected areas, adding to the odor.

The devastation has also left remote communities cut off from food and aid. Mr Naidu said some villages remain inaccessible as roads, bridges and other links have been destroyed. Khalsa Aid has proposed to adopt some of these villages and support them in the recovery process, but is awaiting a response from the Nepali authorities.

The organization is also expanding its presence. His team currently consists of volunteers from Nepal and India, with three teams from India, Kenya and the UK expected to arrive on Sunday (August 30). Volunteers are on the ground assessing what each community needs so that more humanitarian supplies can be sent in the coming days.

However, in some communities people asked for something other than cooked food.

Mr Naidu said some Buddhist residents were reluctant to accept prepared meals and instead asked for ingredients to cook according to their own customs.

Published – 29 Aug 2026 21:25 IST