OMM Redaksiyası
Weeks after devastating floods struck the Nepal-China border last month, families of people who remain missing have not given up hope that their loved ones survived.
The parents of 33-year-old Arushi Gupta, who worked as a consultant in Hyderabad in southern Nepal, called and messaged her on the day of the floods. However, their daughter did not respond to the calls or messages, according to reports.
Arushi was preparing to travel from Nepal to Tibet on Aug. 26 to visit Mount Kailash, a site considered sacred in Hinduism. In her last photo, she shared an image of the immigration checkpoint building at the Gyirong port. She wrote to her father on WhatsApp that she was 15 minutes from the border.
Fate of thousands remains unknown
A flood triggered by a glacial landslide surged down from the mountains, destroying settlements and infrastructure. A total of 5,130 people are reported missing on the Nepalese side, while at least 1,386 people have died.
In China, at least 43 people have died and 519, including many foreign nationals, are considered missing. The flood deposited approximately 2.2 million tons of debris in the valleys, complicating search-and-rescue operations.
The rescue of several people trapped in tunnels belonging to Nepal’s hydropower plants has given families hope. However, updates on the rescue operation are reportedly no longer being provided as regularly as before.
Families create group to exchange information
The mother of 22-year-old Ukrainian film student Vladyslava Horlova, who lives in Bergen, Norway, is also among those missing. “It has not been confirmed that they are dead. That is why we continue to hope,” she said.
Horlova’s 42-year-old mother, Yelena, went missing near the border checkpoint while traveling with a group of Ukrainians on a spiritual journey. Representatives of the families said there was also no information about 46 other Ukrainians who took part in the trip.
Families of people traveling to Mount Kailash created a WhatsApp group with about 200 members to exchange information. At first, members held online meetings every evening to share the latest updates.
Search operations continue
Officials in Nepal and China have said that every effort is being made to search for the missing, ensure coordination between the two countries and provide families with information as soon as possible. India has also said it is cooperating closely with the Nepalese and Chinese authorities.
The scale of the search, along with destroyed roads and settlements, is slowing rescue efforts. Nevertheless, the families of those missing continue to hold on to hope until they receive news of their loved ones.
