Kathmandu:
More than 170 people have been killed, and hundreds remain missing after flash floods hit the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday morning. Among those missing are nearly 300 Indian nationals, including pilgrims travelling to Kailash Mansarovar.
At this stage, the Nepalese police have recovered 177 bodies, and officers are working to relocate families from high-risk flood areas. Emergency search and rescue efforts are underway in the Himalayan border region following severe flash flooding, landslides, and catastrophic mudslides near the Gyirong (Keyrung) Immigration Port – a major crossing point between Tibet and Nepal.
As the government and emergency teams race against time to rescue survivors, anxiety looms for families desperately waiting to hear back from their loved ones impacted by the tragedy. LIVE UPDATES HERE
Among them is the Ahuja family. Two members of the family – American citizens and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI cardholders) Deepak Ahuja (60) and Madhu Ahuja (57) – have gone missing.
An avalanche of ice and rock, likely a result of glacial lake outburst, triggered floods in Nepal.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, the couple’s son-in-law Akash Mahtani said that the couple travelled from the US for pilgrimage purposes with Isha Sacred Walks, which confirmed they were at the Gyirong immigration facility in Tibet when the flood hit. The pair was returning from the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra as part of Group S3, the 26th travel group, when extreme weather struck the region.
The couple’s family is now appealing for help to locate them. However, severe disruptions to telecommunications, power supply, and local road networks have complicated rescue operations on both sides of the border.
Last Known Details
Family members and tour operators have pieced together clues regarding the couple’s whereabouts leading up to their disappearance.
Deepak and Madhu Ahuja were last seen in Saga, Tibet, where they met with Sadhguru alongside their Yatra group before departing south toward the Nepalese border. The couple’s phone was last pinged around 9:00 AM local time on August 26 at the Gyirong Immigration Facility in Tibet.
According to their scheduled itinerary, the couple was supposed to clear immigration at Gyirong Port, cross into Timure (Nepal), and proceed by road through the Rasuwa district to Kathmandu before flying home to Delhi and the United States.
However, heavy rainfall triggered flash floods and mudslides that swept through border facilities, washing out critical bridges and disabling regional infrastructure. Communication with the immediate border zone remains virtually cut off, which is when the couple lost contact with their loved ones. Deepak Ahuja and Madhu Ahuja were travelling through the tour operator Trekkers Society.
An view of flood affected Benighat area, in Dhading district, Nepal.
Photo Credit: (Photo: PTI)
Rescue teams, field hospitals, helicopter evacuation operators, and local volunteers operating in Gyirong, Timure, Syabrubesi, Rasuwa, or Nuwakot are urged to check emergency registries, shelter manifests, and admission logs for Deepak and Madhu Ahuja.
Anyone with information regarding their status or whereabouts is requested to contact the family and local liaisons immediately:
Nepal Local Field Contact: Rajan Pd Neupane (+977 984-9988926)
US Emergency Family Line: Akash Mahtani (+1 336-817-6002)
Direct Family Contacts:
Shreya Ahuja (+1 214-213-8228)
Ashna Ahuja (+1 972-965-6963)
Sushil Ahuja (+1 469-525-5462)
Swetalina Ahuja (+1 214-385-1893)
According to the family, since both missing individuals hold US passports, official emergency welfare enquiries have been initiated with diplomatic authorities:
US Embassy Kathmandu (Emergency Citizen Services Desk):
Phone: +977-1-423-4000 / +977-1-400-7200
After-Hours Emergency: +977-1-400-7266 / +977-1-400-7269
Email:
consktm@state.gov
US Embassy Beijing (Tibet Autonomous Region Desk):
24/7 Crisis Line: +86 10-8531-4000
Email:
BeijingACS@state.gov
US State Department Overseas Citizens Services (Washington DC):
Toll-Free (US): 1-888-407-4747 | International Direct: +1 202-501-4444
Embassy of India Emergency Helplines (Kathmandu):
Hotlines: +977 985 131 6807 / +977 970 910 7500
