Families cling to hope weeks after Nepal-China border disaster

Families of people missing weeks after a flash flood destroyed a border crossing between Nepal and China in the Himalayas continue to wait for news of their loved ones.

The parents of 33-year-old Indian national Arushi Gupta call and message their daughter every day following the flood on Aug. 26. Arushi sent her last photo from the Gyirong Port immigration checkpoint in Tibet. She was preparing to cross from Nepal into Tibet while traveling to Mount Kailash, considered sacred by Hindus.

On the Nepalese side, 5,130 people are still reported missing after a flood triggered by the collapse of a glacier and torrents rushing down from the mountains. At least 1,386 people have died in the disaster. In China, at least 43 people have died and 519 remain missing. Many foreigners are reportedly among those unaccounted for.

Several people trapped in the tunnels of Nepal’s hydroelectric power plants have been rescued during search-and-rescue operations. However, the previously regular flow of updates on the rescue effort has slowed. Despite this, some families regard the lack of information as a small reason to hope that their relatives may still be alive.

Ukrainian film student Vladyslava Horlova, 22, who lives in Bergen, Norway, said her mother, Elena, had not yet been declared dead: “It has not been confirmed that she died. That is why I think this is a small reason to hope.” Elena, 42, went missing near the border crossing while traveling with a group of Ukrainians on a spiritual journey. Family representatives said another 46 Ukrainians who were on the trip were also considered missing.

Arushi had planned to visit Mount Kailash for a long time. She flew from New Delhi to Kathmandu on Aug. 23. On the day of the flood, she told her father that she was 15 minutes from the border. Her last

Mount Kailash is located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China and is regarded as a sacred site in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bon. The surrounding Himalayan region is prone to sudden floods, landslides and other hazards, which can make access and rescue operations particularly difficult.