Most Missing U.S. Citizens in Nepal Flood Are of Indian Origin, Families Appeal for Help
Ramesh Sharma and Neelam Sharma, both U.S. citizens, have been out of contact since catastrophic flooding near the Nepal-China border, their family said. This photo was taken at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Radhika Sharma)
Most of the U.S. citizens listed as missing after catastrophic flash floods along the Nepal–Tibet border appear to be Americans of Indian origin, according to a NepYork analysis of names in a preliminary missing-persons bulletin issued by the Nepal Police. The Nepal Police have listed 65 U.S. citizens as missing, while the U.S. Department of State estimates that about 90 Americans might be affected.
More than 60 of the 65 names on the U.S. list are surnames commonly associated with India, suggesting that Indian American pilgrims may have been disproportionately affected while traveling to or from the Mount Kailash pilgrimage in Tibet. The pilgrimage route passes through the hard-hit border region, including areas around Rasuwa and Gyirong.
Nepal’s Consulate General in New York also confirmed this and stated that it has not identified any missing Americans of Nepali origin among the cases reported to its office.
Families of missing Americans have been contacting the consulate in distress, Consul General Dadhiram Bhandari told NepYork. The consulate has forwarded information on more than 25 missing U.S. citizens to Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bhandari said, and most appear to be Indian Americans.
“Family members are contacting us in an extremely distressed state,” Bhandari said. “We are in continuous contact with them and are repeatedly sending details to Nepal to assist in the search for those who are missing.”
The figures remain preliminary. Nepal Police and the Nepal Tourism Board have issued varying updates as rescue workers reach isolated communities, restore communications and verify identities.
Death Toll Reaches 389
The confirmed death toll in Nepal rose to 389 on Thursday, Nepal Police said, as search-and-rescue crews continued working in flood-ravaged mountain communities.
Chitwan District reported the highest number of fatalities, with 137 bodies recovered, followed by Nawalparasi East with 87. Other reported deaths included 33 in Dhading, 32 in Gorkha, 28 each in Nuwakot and Tanahun, 27 in Nawalparasi West, and 17 in Rasuwa.
According to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, more than 13,200 security personnel — including members of the Nepal Police, the Nepali Army, and the Armed Police Force — have been deployed across affected areas, along with 15 helicopters. Emergency crews have rescued 1,976 people by air and provided medical treatment to 130 injured survivors at regional hospitals, including facilities in Kathmandu.
According to the latest NDRRMA Situation Report, 977 people remain missing, including 517 foreign nationals. The Nepal Police’s latest figures identify 178 missing Indian nationals, 65 Americans, 53 Ukrainians, 35 Australians, and 33 British nationals. Other official updates place the overall number of missing travelers higher, underscoring the fluid nature of the emergency.
U.S. Says About 90 Americans May Be Affected
The U.S. State Department said Thursday that it was aware of approximately 90 Americans who may have been affected by flooding in the Nepal-China border region, a broader figure than the 65 U.S. citizens included on Nepal’s preliminary missing-persons list.
The department confirmed that three U.S. citizens had been safely rescued in Nepal and said it had received no reports of American deaths as of 8 a.m. EDT Thursday.
“The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans,” a State Department spokesperson said.
The State Department said it had deployed a disaster-response adviser to the region and would provide $500,000 through Catholic Relief Services. The assistance is intended to support emergency shelter, relief supplies, water, sanitation and hygiene services for affected communities in Nepal.
Families Search for Loved Ones
With roads, mobile networks and other communications infrastructure severely disrupted near the border, relatives in the United States and India have circulated appeals for help on social media.
Among the missing are 14-year-old Rashi Shashidharan and her 54-year-old mother, Rekha Shashidharan. The New York residents were traveling together and were last in contact with relatives around 7:30 a.m. local time Wednesday, shortly before the flooding. Both names appear on Nepal Police’s list of missing U.S. citizens.
Relatives are also searching for V.S. Balasubramanyam, known as Bali. Kripal Amanna appealed for information about his brother-in-law, a U.S. citizen traveling with an Isha Foundation S3 Kailash/Mansarovar group. His phone was last located near the Chinese immigration center in Gyirong on the morning of Aug. 26.
Additionally, Dr. Radhika Sharma issued a public appeal for information about her parents, 65-year-old Ramesh Sharma and 64-year-old Neelam Kumari Sharma. The New York-based U.S. citizens were traveling on a religious pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, and their names were also included on the official missing-persons list.
Emergency Contacts
In Nepal: Americans needing urgent assistance related to the flooding may email the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu at [email protected].
In the United States and Canada: Relatives seeking information about U.S. citizens in Nepal may call 1-888-407-4747. Callers outside the United States and Canada may call 1-202-501-4444.
In China: Americans in or near Gyirong County and other affected areas on the Chinese side of the border should contact the U.S. Embassy in Beijing through its emergency-assistance system.
U.S. citizens who are safe are urged to notify relatives, enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, and follow instructions from local authorities as rescue operations continue.