Nepal flood survivors return to shattered hometown

Days after flash floods in Nepal's Trishuli River swept away entire neighborhoods, survivors are returning to see what remains of their homes. The river is rising again and rescuers are warning people to move to higher ground. Now, many survivors are packing up the items that they could find in their homes, never to return. Correspondent Adia Bhatt sent us this report from Dangi Bazaar in Nepal. My family has been destroyed. There's nothing left. And what will we eat? I have huge debts. Now, where will we live? Sitaram Shah has come back to see what's left of his house after the floods tore through Dangi Bazaar town in Nepal. He has lived here with his family for decades. Just a few concrete blocks remain standing. After hours of searching, Sitaram managed to recover a handful of belongings. This gas cylinder was left in my house. And some clothes and utensils. I'm devastated. Whatever I earned, I lost it all. Shravan Kumar has come straight from the hospital, where his family is being treated. His elderly father sent him to see what's left of their home. It's his first time here since the disaster. Even reaching where he once lived was a struggle. This is now debris. The river used to be here, and it was a massive swamp. And anywhere, there could be a hole where a man could get trapped inside. Shravan's family has lived here for generations. Now the town, which was once home to thousands of people, is almost gone. Only memories remain. I came here to see if there were any belongings left, but it looks like nothing is. There is no point in coming back here. Whatever belongings we had have been swept away by the flood. As Shravan finishes searching, his father calls. Yes, dad, I'm not able to go inside. My room is completely flooded. As you could see here, there's debris all around. We've been talking to these locals. They've been telling us there are still bodies still trapped inside this debris. They're telling us it's very difficult to take them out. They've been trying for the last couple of days, but they know it's a very difficult and daunting task for them. With every passing day, the scale of destruction becomes clearer. In parts of the town, you can still make out the remnants of people's lives. In others, everything is gone. Volunteers and rescue workers here are working day and night, searching for bodies, clearing debris and helping families. At this site alone, dozens of people are in action. We're very afraid that if another flood comes, it will wipe us out again. While rescuing people, we're getting bitten by insects and suffering injuries. This rescue is very dangerous. Despite the risk, the teams aren't giving up. Authorities say thousands of people have already been rescued from this town. Look at this mud line here. Almost everything beneath it has simply disappeared. People here tell us that some homes and small businesses were swept away into the river in less than 20 seconds. Others that are still standing are buried in thick mud. What's even more disturbing is that people here have lost not just their homes, but their livelihoods too. Many of them ran small businesses from the ground floors of their homes. And those businesses have been washed away along with their homes. We hear about the painful realities with which this community is living. A kilometre away from the site, Shagun and her brother keep returning to this spot. But say they haven't found the courage to go inside what's left of their house. My heart won't let me go in. We've lost everything. Our friends and relatives who also lost everything have left us behind. Since the flood, I've been struggling with the stress of it all. And while some families are combing through the ruins of their homes, others are still searching loud ones. In the capital Kathmandu, this hospital has become a gathering point for grieving families. Families put up photos and phone numbers of the missing, hoping someone will recognise them. This couple comes back every day, waiting for news of their relatives. I'm here for searching my father-in-law and mother-in-law. They have been lost since four days in Teersuli river flood. And I'm here for searching their dead bodies. I think it is impossible to find them alive so early. We have to find if any remaining dead body is there. Authorities say identifying the dead has become one of the hardest parts of this disaster. The bodies that are recovered are first cleaned. Doctors then conduct an examination and a post-mortem, after which they are tagged and kept inside. It is difficult to identify them because their faces are unrecognisable. The bodies brought here are completely disfigured. We have to rely on DNA testing. Only then can we identify them. Back in Dungi Bazar, survival came down to chance. Many said they had almost no warning before the water hit. Now, for those who survived the floods, the question is what comes next. Whether there is anything left to rebuild and whether they will ever again feel safe beside this river.