Floods struck the Bhote Koshi River area of Rasuwa district on 26 August, with the resulting surge travelling downstream and affecting communities in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and other areas. Nepal’s government says search and rescue operations are still continuing, with widespread damage reported to homes, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.
Among those grieving the loss of a friend is Pratik Lamichhane, who has been living in Luxembourg since 2024 and is an active member of the country’s Nepali community. Originally from Nepal’s Dhading district, Lamichhane said the disaster had affected him deeply. "I got to know about my childhood friend and his wife’s death due to the floods and I still cannot believe it", he told RTL Today.
Lamichhane also spoke about a colleague he had been closely associated with for more than 15 years who remains missing. "He is missing until now. His wife is searching for him and regularly posting on social media asking for help. It makes me anxious and sad, and I am really hoping he can be found", he said.
According to Lamichhane, his colleague had been on an official research trip in the area where he was last known to be before the disaster struck.
Lamichhane said the uncertainty surrounding those still missing has been particularly difficult for the Nepali community. At the same time, he said he was confident and satisfied with the scale of the rescue and relief efforts taking place in Nepal. "The international community and the Nepali government itself are doing a lot of work on the ground, joining forces with rescue teams", he said.
Figures shared by Lamichhane, as of 10th September, say 1,357 people have lost their lives, 5,327 remain missing and 6,827 people are injured.
For Lamichhane and others in Luxembourg’s Nepali community, the figures are more than numbers. They represent missing friends, families waiting for news and loved ones whose lives have been upended by the disaster.
Those feelings came together at a candle march in Foetz, attended by around 60 to 70 people from Luxembourg’s Nepali community, according to Lamichhane.
People from different generations gathered to remember those who died and stand in solidarity with affected families.
For many, the march offered a chance to grieve together and remember the people behind the growing death toll.
The community’s response is also moving beyond remembrance. The Nepal-Luxembourg Lok Kalyanakari Sanstha has contributed €5,000 to Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund following the government’s appeal.
The association's newly elected president Yuddha Bahadur Thapa said the association transferred the money within 24 hours of the government’s appeal. Despite living far from Nepal, he said, the contribution was seen as a moral responsibility towards their homeland.
Another fundraising event is planned for 13 September, when the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Luxembourg will hold a charity evening in Schifflange.
The event will take place from 6pm to 10pm at the Salle Polyvalente, Schifflange, with food and cultural performances planned. Organisers say donations raised through the event will be transferred to the Government of Nepal’s Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund.
RTL Today spoke to NRNA Luxembourg secretary Deeplove Baraily, who explained the decision to join forces: "I felt our Nepali community in Luxembourg should do something concrete to support those affected. That’s why we came together through NRNA Luxembourg to organise the fundraiser. I will also personally contribute, while my restaurant, Aayam, will sponsor the food", Baraily said.
For Luxembourg’s Nepali community, the events offer different ways of responding to the same tragedy: mourning those who have died, hoping for news of those still missing and raising funds for people whose lives have been upended by the disaster.
But for people like Lamichhane, the disaster remains deeply personal.
