‘The house got carried 100 metres away’: some Nepal flood victims had minutes of notice. Others had seconds

People gather their belongings from their homes on to a truck in a flood-affected area as rescue and relief efforts continue after devastating flash floods in Nepal. Photograph: Skanda Gautam/Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock

The first thing is the noise – chopper blades cutting through the air as helicopters come and go from the main army response centre, at the entrance to Nepal’s flood zone.

Then, there is the smell. A putrid, iodine smell. Blood and bone. The severe heat beating down on bodies packed into white bags – being carried off helicopters and laid in an area so families can identify them.