Nepal floods leave pilgrims’ families waiting for news
More than 2,400 people were reported missing after floods on the Nepal-China border, where disrupted roads and communications are hindering searches.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Nepal floods missing pilgrims has become a grim search for families across several countries after flash floods and mudslides devastated the Nepal-China border corridor used by travellers heading to and from Mount Kailash. The destruction of a border crossing, blocked roads and communications outages have left relatives with little confirmed information while rescue crews work under the threat of more bad weather.
Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said more than 2,400 people were missing as of Aug. 30, and Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said 734 bodies had been recovered, according to NPR. Those figures are a later snapshot than earlier reports and should not be combined with figures from Tibet, where the extent of any overlap remains unclear.
Why are Mount Kailash pilgrims missing after the Nepal floods?
Mount Kailash, in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, is a major pilgrimage destination for several faiths. Many pilgrims travel through the Nepal-China border area, and several families said their relatives were near immigration or border facilities when the flooding hit.
NPR reported that the Bhote Koshi flood destroyed the border checkpoint and the Friendship Bridge connecting Nepal and China. The Guardian reported power and communications outages in Rasuwa, adding to the difficulty of reaching people or establishing where they were when the disaster struck.
Deepak and Madhu Ahuja, U.S. citizens from Texas, had completed their Mount Kailash pilgrimage and told their daughter they were returning to the border post before the flood, NPR reported. Their daughters told the BBC they had contacted the U.S. State Department and embassies in Delhi, Nepal and China but had received no concrete information about their parents.
Other families reported the same uncertainty. Radhika Sharma told the BBC that her parents were last known to be at the border about an hour before flooding began. The Guardian reported that relatives were also seeking 33 British nationals, while a separate Guardian report said 39 Australians had been identified as missing at that stage. Canada’s foreign office said it was aware of 32 Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Nepal and Tibet whose whereabouts and welfare had not been confirmed, the BBC reported.
What is the latest U.S. update on missing pilgrims?
As of the morning of Aug. 30, 85 Americans were unaccounted for, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, according to NPR. Nine Americans had been safely evacuated, and officials were not aware of any U.S.-citizen deaths at that time.
Nepal has deployed thousands of rescue workers, and people were still being found alive over the weekend, NPR reported. Rescue efforts remain difficult because roads have been cut off by flooding and mudslides, while rain forecast through Sept. 1 could bring flash floods, debris flows, landslides and further disruptions to roads, flights and emergency operations.
The U.S. activated $3.6 million in emergency assistance and sent initial supplies to the Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, NPR reported. The deliveries included blankets, mosquito nets, insulating sheets and food supplies.
Authorities have not released some details about affected Americans for privacy reasons, the BBC reported. Conditions on the Tibetan side are also difficult for foreign media to independently verify, leaving family members dependent on scattered updates from officials, tour groups and rescue teams.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.