The 'Green House' That Survived a Massive Flood Alone... The Owner Reveals the 'Architectural Secret'

The architectural secrets of a house that managed to stand alone while surrounding homes were swept away in Nepal, where catastrophic floods left more than 1,000 dead and 5,000 missing, are drawing widespread attention.

Foreign media outlets, including The New York Times, recently highlighted the construction methods of a green house in the Nuwakot district of Nepal that survived the massive flood, referring to it as the "miracle house."

On August 26, a massive flood struck the Nuwakot region in Nepal, causing the Trishuli River to overflow and destroying more than 1,200 homes in the area alone.

However, video footage shows that amid the surrounding houses being washed away, a single two-story green house in the middle of the torrent uniquely maintained its structural integrity.

The family residing in the house waited for rescue on the balcony for over an hour when the floodwaters struck their home, and safely escaped after the waters receded using a temporary ladder installed by rescue workers.

[Prakash Piakurel / Homeowner: "We were calling upon the name of God and thought this was the end."]

After the massive flood passed, this house was also engulfed in mud and silt, but its framework itself remained standing without collapsing.

From the second floor up, where the floodwaters did not reach, items such as the washing machine inside and the water tank on the roof were confirmed to have remained completely intact.

The secret to how this house endured the fierce current is primarily attributed to its sturdy construction method.

Homeowner Prakash Piakurel said, "It is a building that was expanded after being built as a single-story home in 1995," adding, "It might have been able to hold out because during this process, the pillars of the house were driven deep into the bedrock to anchor it."

He also explained, "Since the location of the house was close to the river, a lot of money was spent to build it sturdy," and "For safety, we laid road construction materials two or three layers deep to solidify the foundation."

Some analysts also suggest that, apart from the construction method, a ridge protruding toward the path where the torrential current flowed played a role in protecting the house.

Due to its continuing fame, information labeled "House Unshaken by Floods" has recently been registered at this building's location on Google Maps.

Reported by Park Se-won | Video by Kim Min-ji | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.