More than 500 foreign tourists from 28 countries are listed as missing after catastrophic flooding near the Nepal-Tibet border, Nepal’s tourism board said, as families around the world wait anxiously for word on their loved ones.
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans unaccounted for in the disaster has climbed to about 90, officials said, while rescue crews continue searching devastated communities and the overall death toll has surpassed 530.
No U.S. fatalities have been confirmed. But as of Friday morning, Aug. 28, roughly 90 American citizens remained missing, up from about 65 the previous day. One spiritual organization said 22 Americans connected to its group were among those still unaccounted for.
So far, three Americans have been found alive and rescued, according to the State Department.
Nepal’s tourism board said the missing include more than 500 travelers from 28 nations. Officials expect that figure could fall as teams reach isolated areas and reconnect survivors with authorities, though the number of confirmed deaths is also expected to increase.
Nepalese authorities said the death toll in the country had risen to 538, with the injured transported to hospitals and helicopters evacuating more than 3,000 people to safer ground. Across the border in China, information on survivors remained limited, though state media reported the death toll there had reached five and showed village evacuations and officials coordinating relief operations.
Footage from the disaster zone captured the speed and force of the floodwaters, showing people fleeing moments before torrents swept through streets, destroying buildings and washing away bridges.
The U.S. State Department moved quickly to respond, issuing messages of support and pledging $500,000 in emergency aid for Nepal.
In a post on social media, Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered condolences to Nepal after the tragedy and pledged U.S. assistance.
“We express our solidarity and are united in prayer for the Nepali people following the devastating floods,” Rubio wrote. “(The state department) stands ready to support the Government of Nepal with needed humanitarian assistance.”
Who are the Americans missing in Nepal?
As of Friday, it’s unclear exactly who from the U.S. is missing, although some outlets have begun reporting the names of some of the missing as loved ones plead for any updates about them. A handful of the names have been released by the Nepalese government.
The U.S. state department hasn’t provided any details or the names of the people known to be in Nepal. No American tourists have been declared dead so far, with rescue efforts continuing Friday.
In an update, the Nepal Board of Tourism provided the names of 10 Americans known to still be missing:
- Ahuja Deepak
- Ahuja Madhu
- Amita Amin
- Anil Goel
- Atluri Sasi Kumar
- Balaji Deepa
- Belahal Mukti Chandrakant
- Bimalbhai R Patel
- Bina P Parikh
- Cantrell Mark Allen
Officials confirmed 22 people from a meditation group based in Tennessee were among the missing, but officials did not name them. The Isha Foundation’s U.S. branch is based in the state and offers pilgrimages to the Himalayan mountains as part of its spiritual guidance. The Americans were part of a pilgrimage group of 77.
Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru Jaggi told ABC News that they lost contact with the group at an immigration center near the Nepal-Tibet border when the floodwaters hit.
In the days since the flooding Wednesday, Aug. 26, families who have lost touch with loved ones traveling in the area have taken to social media to plead for any word on their loved ones.
According to ABC News, the missing include a Virginia woman traveling with a tour group, a Texas couple on a birthday trip and a mother traveling with her 14-year-old daughter.
Among those on a guided tour was Venus Rajnikant Patel, a 45-year-old Indian-born U.S. citizen who recently moved from St. Louis to Cincinnati to help his family.
Patel’s brother, Dennis, said Venus called him and their parents a few hours before the floods, showing them his hotel room on the Nepalese side of the border and talking about how excited he was to cross into Tibet. He had been planning the pilgrimage for two years, his brother said.
Another American who is missing is 72-year-old Jitendra Patel, a Long Island resident who was with a tour group on a Hindu pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, according to his son, Sunny Patel. Jitendra last called Wednesday morning local time on WhatsApp to say that he had crossed the border into Tibet.
Why was the flooding in Nepal so intense?
The region struck by the flooding sits just below the Himalayan mountains, where the collapse of a glacier sent a deadly wall of water and mud several stories high tearing through small communities and towns.
The steep slopes and the lush valleys below the Himalayan mountain range — home to many of the world’s highest peaks and remaining glaciers — are especially vulnerable to flooding and landslides. Melting glaciers have become more common because of human-caused climate change.
Images showed what appeared to be the second floors of buildings in Nepal’s hard-hit Nuwakot district slathered in mud after the torrent rushed by. Debris hung from tree branches and wires, vehicles were buried and some stunned survivors were caked in mud.
The flooding also struck Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus that thousands of religious pilgrims scale each year. At least 179 of the missing tourists were from India, with Nepalese officials saying most of them were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
