[Anchor]

The disaster-hit areas struck by massive torrents of water saw buildings, roads, and bridges swept away and completely covered in mud. Satellite imagery clearly reveals the horrific aftermath left in the wake of the flood.

Reporter Yu Deok-gi has the details.

[Reporter]

This is what a border checkpoint connecting Nepal and China looked like when captured in 2024.

A concrete building nestled between three branching waterways stands out clearly.

However, in a satellite image taken on the 27th, one day after the massive flood, the checkpoint building, auxiliary facilities, and surrounding roads have all vanished without a trace.

They were either buried in piles of mud or swept away by the flood.

The village of Syabrubesi, which served as the starting point for the Langtang trek frequently visited by South Korean hikers, had its private homes, roads, and bridges completely washed away or buried under thick mud, turning the entire area into a quagmire.

The hydropower plant construction site, suspected to be the location where nine South Koreans lost contact, was also captured in the satellite imagery.

Accessory facilities such as office buildings, bridges, and roads have disappeared without a trace.

The satellite photos vividly show how the damage was concentrated along the riverside where people and commercial facilities gathered due to the gorge terrain.

Residents who have lost both their families and livelihoods linger around unable to bring themselves to leave.

[Subina Tamang / Wife of a missing person: All I hope for is that my husband returns safely and in one piece. I don't want anything else.]

Buildings covered in mud with one side completely destroyed bear direct witness to the impact delivered by the water, rocks, and soil swept down by the massive flood.

On the third day since the massive flood occurred, countless lives remain trapped in massive mud pits, while tension mounts in the affected areas over fears of yet another flood and landslide.

(Video Editing: Choi Hye-young, Footage courtesy of VANTOR)