RAXAUL: Five members of Budhan Sah's family, originally from Lal Chhapra village in Adapur block, Raxaul, East Champaran, have been missing for nine days following the devastating floods in Nepal. The Sah family had been residing in Nepal for the past 15-16 years. On August 26, the flash floods swept away Budhan Sah's wife, three married daughters, and a grandson. Budhan Sah's son, Raja Kumar, witnessed the destruction firsthand and shared his harrowing experience with Bhaskar.

According to Raja Kumar, on the day of the incident, August 26, he and his father left their home around 7 AM for work in the mountains. Around 9 AM, after reaching about 5 kilometers up the mountain, his mother called in a panicked voice, informing them that water was rapidly coming from the direction of China and the situation was worsening. Raja advised her to evacuate immediately.

From the mountain, Raja was horrified to see the terrifying surge of water, which in many places reached above five-story buildings. He tried to call his mother again, but the connection broke before he could finish. Since then, there has been no contact with the missing family members.

Raja estimated that the water, which was initially reported about 65 kilometers from their home, reached their area in approximately 13 minutes due to its immense speed. People had no time to react or move to safety. The area where Budhan Sah's family lived had about 100 to 150 houses, but only two or three remained after the flood. The family continues its desperate search for their loved ones.