Nepal Sets Up Zip Line Across Trishuli River After Floods Sever Links
Nepal authorities install a zip line over the Trishuli River to help residents cross after floods destroyed bridges and roads.
Authorities in Nepal have installed a temporary zip line across the Trishuli River in Bidur, Nuwakot District, to help residents reach their homes and families after catastrophic floods damaged bridges and roads. The crossing, set up by the Nepalese army and police, consists of a metal enclosure pulled manually by officials from both banks.
Long queues formed at a temporary platform as residents waited for their turn to cross. Many said they were returning to check on their houses and retrieve belongings. "To see what the situation is over there. To take out the items left (in his house), if it is there. To go see (my house)," said Kumar Shrestha, a local resident.
Others expressed anxiety about the crossing but felt they had no choice. "I'm feeling scared (to use the zip line). My house is over there. My whole family is over there. So, what will I do sitting here," said Subendra Tamang. Another resident, Samjhana Bhatta, described her loss: "Nothing left, nowhere to go, nowhere to live. Only left this bag."
The floods, triggered by a glacier collapse on August 26, devastated towns and valleys across Nepal, destroying homes, roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure. At least 1,252 people were killed and more than 4,200 remain missing, according to the country's disaster management agency. On the Tibet side of the border, China reported 21 deaths and 541 missing.
Meanwhile, survivors sheltering in relief camps are struggling to obtain essential medicines and cash, even as authorities provide food and basic supplies to thousands of displaced people. For families who lost homes and relatives, the shortages add to the hardship of relying on temporary shelters.