Devastation in Syafrubesi: Indian Workers Affected by Nepal Floods
By Editor • September 10, 2026 • 2 min read
The recent flash floods that struck Syafrubesi, a town near the Nepal-Tibet border, have left a trail of destruction, affecting many lives, including Indian migrant workers Neyaz Miya and Mehadi Hassan. On August 26, as the waters surged, these workers were on construction sites, witnessing their hard work and the town itself being swept away in an instant.
Recalling the chaos, Miya described the moment when the flood struck, saying, "First came the terrifying loud sound. Then the ground trembled, and dark clouds descended upon us." With their lives in jeopardy, both men managed to escape, but not without losing their friends and colleagues. Miya estimates that only a fraction of the town's population survived the disaster.
Survivors' Struggle and Loss
The floodwaters claimed the lives of at least 1,200 individuals, with more than 4,000 still unaccounted for. Miya and Hassan, who had been working in Syafrubesi for years, watched in horror as the multi-storey hotels they had helped build vanished. "The town was gone in a blink," Miya reflected, now back in his village in Bihar, India.
The two men were not alone when they fled; they were joined by other survivors, including young boys who were left waiting for their fathers to return from work. The emotional toll was immense as they searched for their missing friends, only to find remnants of their lives buried in the debris.
Return to Turhapatti
After the disaster, the survivors made their way back to India, a journey marked by uncertainty and fear. They spent the night in a government school and later took helicopters and SUVs to reach their homes in Bihar. For Miya and Hassan, this return was far from triumphant; it was a painful reminder of what they had lost.
Both men had left behind families and livelihoods to seek better wages in Nepal, where they could earn more than in India. However, the floods have not only robbed them of their work but also of their friends, leaving a significant void in their community.
Source: www.aljazeera.com
