The floods in Syafrubesi, Nepal, on August 26 resulted in the deaths of several Indian migrant workers who were constructing homes and hotels in the area. Neyaz Miya and Mehadi Hassan, two workers from Bihar, were present at different construction sites when the floods struck, sweeping away three of their colleagues. Over 1,200 bodies have been recovered since the disaster, with at least 4,000 people reported missing and more than 13,000 rescued.
Miya, recalling the events of that day, described hearing a loud noise and feeling the ground tremble before fleeing up the hill with others. He and Hassan eventually regrouped with around 60 to 70 survivors. Miya, who had been working in Syafrubesi for a decade, noted that many of the hotels they had worked on were destroyed in the flood.
The population of Syafrubesi was recorded at 2,271 in the 2011 census, and Miya estimated that only a few hundred residents likely survived the disaster. On the day of the flood, Miya and Hassan were working alongside other migrants, including Arman Ansari and his son, who were also swept away.
After the floodwaters receded, Miya and Hassan searched for their missing friends but found only debris. They were later evacuated and returned to their home village in Bihar, where they faced the reality of their lost colleagues and the impact on their families.
The economic conditions in Bihar drive many workers to seek employment in Nepal, where wages are higher. Miya and Hassan, like many others, had been sending money home to support their families. The disaster has left families in Turhapatti, Bihar, grappling with the loss of their loved ones and the uncertainty of their futures.
As the search for the missing continues, the families of the lost workers are left to cope with their grief and the search for answers. Miya and Hassan, now survivors, are looking for work again but are hesitant to return to the hills where the tragedy occurred.