Search for Missing Pilgrims After Devastating Nepal-Tibet Floods

Radhika Sharma last heard from her parents when they crossed from Nepal into Tibet. Ramesh Sharma, 65, and Neelam Sharma, 64, U.S. citizens living in New York, were on a religious pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a site sacred to multiple faiths. Soon after their crossing, a massive flood of water, rock, and mud devastated the Himalayan region they had traversed.

Videos from the affected areas showed chaos. The flood’s debris engulfed buildings, crushed vehicles, and isolated towns. It severed essential services like roads, power, and communications. The onslaught’s intensity was so great that it appeared on seismic monitors as a magnitude-4.4 earthquake, believed to be caused by a melting glacier collapse.

In a striking video from Mailung in Nepal’s Rasuwa region, construction workers on a mountain path fled as brown debris cascaded down. One worker paused to record the scene before realizing the impending danger and retreating uphill rapidly.

Nepal faced severe destruction along the Trishuli River, following the flash flood. As of Thursday afternoon, authorities in Nepal recovered 289 bodies, and three deaths were confirmed in Tibet. Hundreds, including 65 Americans, remained missing. Among the missing were the Sharmas, part of a pilgrimage group headed to Mount Kailash.

Dr. Radhika Sharma, a 32-year-old physician in North Carolina, described the situation as the most distressing period of her life. She contacted U.S. embassies in Nepal and China and reached out on social media. She found people in Nepal offering help to locate her parents. Despite her efforts, she had yet to hear anything definitive.

“I’ve given them my parents’ information and photos,” Sharma shared. “I’m waiting for any confirmation they’ve been seen.”

The U.S. State Department confirmed efforts to assist U.S. citizens. They encouraged families to use their emergency contact lines. The remoteness of the area, compounded by flood damage to infrastructure, has made confirming basic information difficult.

Elsewhere, Shova Shrestha in Baidur, Nepal, awaited word on her husband, Rajan, missing amid ongoing rescue operations. Meanwhile, Sagar Pandey, leading a tour company with affected travelers, witnessed complete devastation from a helicopter.

“There are no human settlements left; everything is just flattened,” he reported.

Syed Sadique, based in southern India, sought news about 57 travelers, including his son, involved in the disaster. He received information that one bus managed to navigate safely, while another plunged into a gorge.

Dr. Sharma sent a heartfelt message to her missing parents:

“I love you. I am looking for you. I will keep looking for you. I just hope you’re OK.”

She reflected on her parents’ caring nature, confident they were concerned for her and her brother.