A New York teenager and mother are among 90 Americans missing in Nepal as families desperately search for answers

Flash Floods Near Nepal-China Border Leave 90 Americans Unaccounted For as Families Race Against Time

Earthguardiansonline.com – A catastrophic wall of meltwater, ice, and shattered rock tore through mountain gorges along the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday, sweeping downstream along a river valley and obliterating entire settlements in its path. In the aftermath, more than 1,300 people remain missing across both countries, with over 700 of them foreign nationals from 31 nations. Among the most urgent searches are those for 90 American citizens whose families, scattered across the globe, have spent the past two days making desperate phone calls, pleading with officials, and clinging to fragments of hope.

A New York Family’s Final Morning

For Shekhar Agrawal, sitting in his apartment in Mumbai, the crisis began with a routine morning phone call. Around 7:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, he spoke briefly with his sister Rekha Shashidharan, 54, and her daughter Rashi Shashidharan, 14, both residents of New York. The pair had planned to reach an immigration checkpoint by noon that day and cross into Tibet to continue a long-planned religious journey.

Just over an hour later, at 8:37 a.m., international scientists say a massive section of glacier broke free from the mountainside and plunged into the valley below. The resulting surge of ice, rock, and water struck towns and villages lining the riverbank, destroying homes, roads, and communication infrastructure in minutes.

“After that, there was radio silence, nothing, no contact whatsoever,” Agrawal said.

He believes the mother and daughter were still at their hotel when the disaster struck. Since then, the family has been dialing every number it can find — tips from friends, listings on television, contacts shared online — hoping one call will break through.

The Pilgrimage Behind the Disappearance

The Shashidharans were not casual tourists. Rashi, an eighth grader, had originally intended to undertake the Hindu pilgrimage alone and was, by her uncle’s account, “very excited” about the prospect. Her mother ultimately chose to travel alongside her so the teenager would not be on the road by herself. Before heading north, the two spent several days in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, allowing their bodies to adjust to the increasing altitude of the Himalayan region. They then joined a tour group pushing toward the Chinese border.

Their destination was Mount Kailash in Tibet, a peak revered across Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bon. For many in the South Asian diaspora, reaching that mountain represents a lifelong spiritual aspiration. Some pilgrims save for months or even years to fund the journey. Agrawal held up photographs of his sister and niece taken during earlier temple visits in Nepal — images showing the two seated cross-legged on a floor, Rashi in a forest-green shirt and jeans, her mother wearing a pink head covering.

“This is Rashi enjoying her temple visit,” he said, holding up one of the pictures.

Other Families in the Same Predicament

The Shashidharans are far from alone in their anguish. Among the missing are a retired American couple who had finally taken the pilgrimage after their children urged them to stop working and “go live life” following decades of labor. Another pair from Texas had framed the trip as a celebration of the husband’s 60th birthday — what their children called a “bucket list dream.” Each family now faces the same agonizing uncertainty: no confirmed signal, no verified location, no answer.

Agrawal, speaking from Mumbai on Thursday, described the first days after the disaster as a frantic scramble to gather information from every available channel. He stressed that the next two to three days would be decisive for locating anyone still alive but trapped or cut off, and he urged authorities to share verified information with families without delay.

“This is the crucial golden hour,” he said.

Rescue Efforts and Communication Blackout

The affected stretch of terrain has lost electrical power and cellular connectivity. Rescue teams working in the region face persistent rain, deep mud, and vast fields of wreckage that slow every advance. Because of these conditions, officials cannot yet determine how many of the missing individuals survived but simply have no means to reach the outside world.

On Thursday, dozens of missing foreign nationals were pulled to safety, and search crews continued intensive operations through the day. The State Department confirmed in a statement that 90 Americans remained unaccounted for as of that day, while noting that at least three U.S. citizens had already been safely recovered.

U.S. Government Response

President Donald Trump characterized the event as a “terrible” disaster and stated that the United States stands ready to provide “any help” Nepal may require. He acknowledged that dozens of Americans were missing but said the administration had not yet received the complete roster of affected citizens. International governments have begun dispatching relief supplies, medical teams, and logistical support to the region.

For families like the Shashidharans, the official response offers a framework but little immediate comfort. The numbers keep changing. The silence from the valley keeps stretching. And every phone call that goes unanswered deepens the fear that the golden hour Agrawal described may already be slipping away.