The Flood Swept Away Everything Around It, but Not Nepal’s Green House: Owner Tells How the Three-Story Building Withstood the Disaster

A three-story green house in Dhunge Bazaar, Nepal, has become one of the most talked-about sights on social media. The Pyakurel family home has been described by some as a “miracle house,” while others have dubbed it the “viral house.” In a widely shared video, family members can be seen watching from the third-floor balcony in terror as a powerful flood surged against their home. Nevertheless, the building managed to remain standing.

Chhatra Bahadur Pyakurel, 67, said everything began shortly after he had accompanied his grandson to the school bus. Soon afterward, the flood wave, caused by the collapse of a glacier in the Himalayan region between Nepal and Tibet, reached the house. For more than an hour, the family remained helpless in the face of the situation, watching first from the balcony and then from the roof as the flow of water and debris continued to intensify.

Pyakurel recounted that his main concern was what had happened to his grandson. He acknowledged that, for a time, the family believed their survival depended solely on luck. Even a week after the incident, the upper part of the house remained almost undamaged, and curious visitors continued climbing up to see it. The home has now also been marked on Google Maps as a “flood-resistant” attraction.

The head of the family believes the building was saved thanks to foundations set deep into the rock, but he does not rule out what he calls the “divine factor.” Meanwhile, some local residents believe that a hill positioned in front of the water’s path may have protected the house from the full force of the impact.

The ground floor of the house was built in 1995, when Pyakurel was running a grocery store. As the business grew, the family gradually added the other floors. But although the building survived, the lower floors suffered considerable damage. Many important documents, including certificates and passports, were destroyed.

When the water level fell, neighbors helped the family leave the roof, using metal pipes as a makeshift ladder. Pyakurel said he was especially relieved that his grandson was safe, as the school was located in a higher area. The family was reunited the day after the flood.

Bishu Mani Rimal, 45, a resident about five kilometers farther downstream, said he had never imagined that anyone could survive under such conditions. He also said that four other homes belonging to Pyakurel’s extended family had disappeared, while the flood swept away an entire market and power turbines installed along the river.

According to the article, the death toll in Nepal had surpassed 1,100, while around 4,000 people were still reported missing. In Tibet, hundreds of people remained unaccounted for. Rescue teams, hampered by relentless rainfall and soft mud, had managed to bring more than 11,000 people to safety, while thousands more remained in temporary shelters. In Nuwakot district alone, more than 1,200 homes had been completely damaged and over 1,000 others partially damaged; meanwhile, dozens of bridges and road sections had been completely destroyed.