Tek Bahadur Darnal, of Simalbari village in Jhapa Rural Municipality-3, has been dealing with a nightmare after he lost his wife and a three-year-old daughter in the massive flooding in Kankai River Last Friday. The floods also washed away his house, rendering him homeless.

Darnal is now taking shelter at his relative’s (Sharman Baraili) house in Khaharedangi, Mechinagar-12. He is mourning the deaths of his wife and daughter for that past five days.

“I would have consoled myself if only my house was wiped. But I am finding it hard to come to terms with the tragedy of the departure of my beloved wife and daughter,” said Darnal in a choking voice. “I wish no one has to suffer my plight,” added Darnal.

Darnal, his wife and daughter were at their home when the floodwaters from Kankai River gushed into their settlement on Friday midnight. They shouted for help but all villagers had run away from the village.

“My wife asked me to free the ox from shed before running to safety. But when I returned, both my wife and daughter were missing,” said Darnal.

Darnal looked for his family for hours but to no avail. “I had to fight with the heavy flood to save myself. I don’t know how I lived through that horror night,” said Darnal. He said he spent the rest of the night standing on a slightly less inundated surface.

The Friday midnight turned out to be a worst nightmare for Darnal.

Next morning, Darnal along with a rescue team of villagers searched for the missing family members. Darnal’s heart stopped when he saw the dead bodies of his wife and daughter lying about three-km south of his home. The rain was continuing but the sight caused a storm inside Darnal.

The bodies were retrieved with the help of security personnel after the rain subsided. Darnal cremated both bodies on the same pyre on Sunday.

According to Nepal Red Cross Society, Bhadrapur, the torrential rains that continued for four days claimed 12 lives in Jhapa. Three people are still missing in the floodwaters. Around 1,896 families have been rendered homeless, while 2,019 families are affected by the disaster.