At least 90 Americans missing in Nepal flood among 2,000 unaccounted for

At least 90 American citizens remain missing among nearly 2,000 people unaccounted for after a catastrophic flash flood struck the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday. The official death toll is approaching 600 and is expected to rise further as search and rescue operations continue across the affected region.

The U.S. State Department confirmed that three American citizens have been safely rescued, with no U.S. citizen deaths officially reported at this time. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States stands ready to assist the government of Nepal with humanitarian aid. In response, the U.S. Embassy in Nepal announced $500,000 in emergency assistance to be distributed through Catholic Relief Services to provide flood-affected communities with emergency shelter, relief supplies, water, sanitation, and hygiene support.

Survivors, victims, and missing individuals represent multiple nationalities. Many of the missing Americans were traveling on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a sacred mountain in Tibet revered by several faiths, including Hinduism and Buddhism.

Among the unaccounted travelers are 22 Americans who were participating in a tour organized by the Isha Foundation, an India-based spiritual organization with a campus in Tennessee. Foundation founder Sadhguru Vasudev confirmed that 80 total members of the group have not yet been located. Leslie Crespi, a liaison for the organization's U.S. campus, said the group's coordinator made contact at 9:05 a.m. local time on Wednesday to confirm their arrival, just nine minutes before the flash flood struck the area.

Families across the United States are anxiously awaiting news of missing relatives. Venus Rajnikant Patel, a 45-year-old from Cincinnati who had planned the pilgrimage for two years, remains missing. Jolene Gosha, a friend of Patel, stated that his hotel was in the flood zone and expressed fear regarding his survival.

Similarly, the family of 72-year-old Jitendra Patel of Long Island, New York, has been unable to contact him since he called on Wednesday morning to report crossing into Tibet. His son, Sunny Patel, stated that unanswered messages and the passage of time have heightened the family's concerns.

Also missing are New York resident Rekha Shashidharan and her 14-year-old daughter, Rashi. Rekha's brother, Shekhar Agrawal, said the pair had spent several days acclimating to the altitude in Kathmandu before traveling toward Tibet. Agrawal reported that he last spoke with them around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, after which all contact ceased.

Emergency responders and local authorities are continuing efforts to clear debris, reach isolated communities, and determine the full extent of casualties along the border corridor.