Kathmandu: Flooding in Nepal is putting families in a state of uncertainty due to the number of people that have been swept by floodwater and are still missing. Without any information on whether or not their loved ones have died or survived, the waiting period has become increasingly difficult for some relatives.

The cause of the floods was due to the excessive rainfall and the swelling of rivers. Several regions were affected and roads, houses and other structures were damaged during the floods. Missing persons have yet to be found despite the efforts of the rescue parties and authorities as the floods made it difficult to search for them.

Waiting is a painful process especially for families who are concerned about their missing relatives. Some have reported their loved ones as missing persons but without any recovered remains, they cannot report them as dead.

Search and rescue efforts can be difficult even after flooding disasters, as strong currents may move individuals far away from their initial location, and inaccessible locations due to road damage or difficult terrain make searching efforts take more time. It is also worth noting that identification of any retrieved individuals may be difficult in cases where personal identification items were not retrieved by survivors.

Authorities keep estimating the extent of the disaster and revising the number of casualties and individuals still missing. Search and rescue personnel have also advised people in affected areas to be careful because the situation might change quickly.

It is not easy for people who are waiting to hear about their relatives, however, as figures provided by the authorities do not give much comfort. As long as people who are missing are not found, the authorities have no way of telling what happened to them.