BY VEENA RAO
Two U.S. couples of Indian origin are now known to be among those missing after catastrophic flash floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border region Wednesday, as desperate families appeal for help locating their loved ones.
Deepak Ahuja and Madhu Ahuja, both U.S. citizens, were traveling with Isha Sacred Walks and were at the Gyirong immigration facility in Tibet when the disaster struck, according to an appeal shared by their family.
Yesterday, Dr. Radhika Sharma, a gastroenterologist, sought help locating her parents, Ramesh Sharma, 65, and Neelam Sharma, 64, also U.S. citizens, who were traveling in the region on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.
The Ahujas were reportedly returning from the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and traveling south toward Nepal when contact with them was lost. Their phone was last detected at about 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Gyirong immigration facility, according to media reports citing the family and tour operators.
The couple had been traveling with Isha Sacred Walks. They were last seen in Saga, Tibet, before proceeding toward Gyirong, where they were expected to clear immigration, cross into Nepal at Timure and continue toward Kathmandu.
“If anyone in my network has direct contacts in Nepal, Tibet/Gyirong, local hospitals, rescue operations, government, or on-the-ground media, please connect us immediately,” a family member wrote in an appeal shared on social media.
“We are doing everything we can to locate Mom and Dad. Any credible local connection could help,” the appeal said. “Please keep Deepak and Madhu Ahuja and everyone affected in your prayers.”
The family appeal said Isha Sacred Walks had confirmed that the Ahujas were at the Gyirong immigration facility when the flooding occurred.
Ramesh and Neelam Sharma, meanwhile, were also traveling toward Mount Kailash when they disappeared. Their daughter said Wednesday that she had been unable to establish their whereabouts following the disaster.
“My parents, Ramesh Sharma (65 Male) and Neelam Sharma (64 Female) are currently missing and unaccounted for following the flood at the Nepal-Tibet/China border,” Dr. Sharma wrote in an Instagram post.
She appealed to anyone with contacts in Nepal, Gyirong or Tibet, including hospitals, rescue teams, government authorities and local media, to get in touch.
“I would greatly appreciate any help, any contacts, any information (domestic help or international help),” she wrote.
The search for the two couples is unfolding as the scale of the Himalayan disaster continues to grow.
By Thursday, authorities were reporting dramatically higher casualty and missing-person figures than those available Wednesday night. Nepalese officials said hundreds of tourists from more than 30 countries remained unaccounted for, including dozens of Americans. Chinese authorities separately reported hundreds missing in Tibet’s Gyirong County, including foreign nationals.
Because figures from Nepal and Tibet have been changing rapidly and may include people who have not yet been located because of communications failures, the exact number of missing remains unclear.
The U.S. Geological Survey has said the disaster was triggered by a massive glacial collapse and debris flow, correcting initial reports that the seismic signal recorded in the area had been an earthquake. The resulting torrent swept through valleys and border communities, destroying roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructure.
The Gyirong-Timure corridor is a key route for pilgrims traveling to and from Kailash Mansarovar. Mount Kailash in Tibet is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and followers of the Bon faith, and large numbers of international pilgrims were traveling through the region when the disaster struck.
Rescue teams continued searching Thursday despite washed-out roads, damaged bridges and disrupted communications that have made it difficult both to reach survivors and to determine who may have escaped to safety. Thousands of Nepalese army and police personnel have been mobilized, with helicopters being used to reach isolated areas.
For the families of Deepak and Madhu Ahuja and Ramesh and Neelam Sharma, the lack of information has prompted an urgent effort to reach anyone on the ground who may be able to trace the four missing Americans.
“Any credible local connection could help,” the Ahuja family’s appeal said.
Emergency contacts for information about missing travelers:
- Nepal Tourist Police: 1144 (toll-free within Nepal)
- Tourist Police, Kathmandu: +977-1-5347041
- Tourist Police mobile: +977-9851289445
- Nepal Police emergency: 100
- Nepal Tourism Board Crisis Unit: +977-97510-44088
