A green-painted house in Dhunge Bazaar, Nepal, has become a symbol of survival after withstanding a torrent of floodwater, mud and debris that swept away much of the surrounding neighbourhood.
The three-storey home belonging to the Pyakurel family remained standing as the Trishuli River surged through the area on August 26, while nearby buildings, vehicles and other structures were destroyed.
Footage shared widely online showed members of the family watching from an upper-floor balcony as the flood battered the building. Six people were inside, and they later moved from the balcony to the roof as the water continued to rise.
Chhatra Bahadur Pyakurel, 67, said he had returned home after taking his grandson to the school bus when the flood reached Dhunge Bazaar. The family was trapped for more than an hour, uncertain whether the house would withstand the force of the water.
The building survived, but its lower levels were badly damaged. Goods stored on the ground floor were lost, while vehicles, motorbikes and scooters were carried away by the flood.
Scientists have said the flooding may have been triggered by an ice avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, which blocked a river before a sudden surge of water and debris travelled downstream through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems.
Residents and online viewers have since dubbed the property Nepal’s “miracle house”. Its survival has drawn visitors to the devastated area, where the building now stands almost alone amid mud, wreckage and the remains of Dhunge Bazaar.
