A New York physician is pleading for help as she searches for her parents, who are among more than 60 Americans reported missing after devastating flash floods in Nepal left at least 270 people dead.
Radhika Sharma said her parents, Ramesh Sharma, 65, and Neelam Sharma, 64, remain “missing and unaccounted” for after being swept into chaos Wednesday as floods and landslides struck during their pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a peak revered as sacred.
According to Sharma, the last contact from her parents came after they crossed the Nepal-China border at about 8 a.m. local time Wednesday — roughly 40 minutes before the flooding began.
“It’s been probably over 24 hours, and probably been the worst 24 hours of my life, my brother’s life,” she told NBC. “We’re just waiting to hear from them, and just any information, honestly.”
In the hours since, Sharma said social media has helped connect her with people on the ground in Nepal. On Wednesday, she posted urgent appeals across her platforms in hopes of locating her parents.
“If you have any direct contacts in Nepal, Gyirong/Tibet, local hospitals, rescue operations, government/local media, anyone on the ground – PLEASE DM/contact me immediately,” Radhika wrote on X on Wednesday.
“I would greatly appreciate any help. Any contacts, any information.”
Sharma, who describes herself as a “New Yorker always,” graduated from The Bronx High School of Science in 2012 and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Stony Brook University in 2016, according to her LinkedIn profile.
She then studied at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine between 2016 and 2020, where she received a doctorate. For the past six years, she has been enrolled at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville. She has been a gastroenterology fellow since April 2023.
Wednesday’s floods have left at least 270 people dead and 826 missing in Nepal.
Three fatalities have been reported in Tibet and 558 people are missing, according to local authorities.
In Nepal, 644 foreign nationals are missing — 65 coming from the USA. Authorities confirmed that 178 tourists from India are among those who are unaccounted for.
Tourists from more than 30 countries are thought to be missing.
Nepal’s foreign minister Shisir Khanal told the country’s parliament Wednesday that initial reports suggested the floods, which hit around 8:40 a.m. local time, may have been the result of an avalanche triggered by an earthquake.
The US Geological Survey reported a 4.4-magnitude quake around 41 miles north of Kathmandu before it later confirmed no quake had actually struck. It’s now thought a glacier collapse was behind the flooding.
A chunk of ice snapped off a glacier high in the Himalayas and fell from a height of around 17,000 feet, smashing into a valley floor and triggering an ice avalanche, Al Jazeera reported.
As the ice was falling, it was picking up debris and it struck the Lhende River – located around 12 miles from the Nepal-China border.
The debris accumulation initially caused the river to be blocked up before the dam gave way, sending a violent torrent downstream.
Around 25 miles of roads were washed away, with 19 bridges destroyed.
Water levels on the Trishuli River rose by 27 feet in just half an hour as a result of the surge.
Dozens of homes were swept away by the crushing masses of water that overwhelmed villages.
Survivors were forced to cling to mango trees to avoid being swept away – as they watched their homes being destroyed.
Around 10,000 homes require immediate relief, according to the UN, and there has been a major international response.
The US is sending a disaster response adviser and has set aside $500,000 in assistance, “supporting emergency shelter, relief items, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance to flood-affected communities.”
“The United States extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the devastating flash floods in the Rasuwa district of Nepal. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster,” the State Department said.
“The State Department is closely monitoring the situation and is deploying a disaster response advisor to the region to support response efforts.”
India has sent 22,046 pounds of disaster-relief supplies, including temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and medicines.
Around $1.24 million in funding has been put aside by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
EU Commission President, Ursula Von Der Leyen, said the institution stands ready to “mobilize further European assistance.”
With Post wires.
