Families Await Answers After Nepal-China Border Floods

A month after catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-China border, families are still awaiting answers about more than 50 Ukrainians who disappeared. The disaster, which occurred on Aug. 26, has left over 1,400 people dead and more than 6,000 missing, primarily on the Nepali side.

Olena Kalynychenko was part of a group of 56 people, mostly Ukrainians, who had traveled to Mount Kailash in Tibet for a spiritual retreat. Her last known location was exiting China at a border post at 10:22 a.m. local time, just 15 minutes before the flood struck.

Families in Ukraine report receiving little to no information from authorities. The Chinese government has informed some families that their relatives had left Chinese territory before the flood, but confirmation of their entry into Nepal is hampered by the destruction of Nepal's immigration records.

Nepal has reported 636 foreign nationals missing, including 54 Ukrainians, while China lists 261 foreign nationals on its side, including one Ukrainian. The process of rescuing, recovering, and identifying victims from such a large-scale disaster is complex and expected to take months.

Nepal has recovered 1,451 bodies, but only 112 have been returned to families. DNA samples have been collected from 2,035 relatives, but the number of identified victims remains undisclosed.

The group, led by spiritual teacher Irina Blonskaya, was on its way from the Tibet region to Kathmandu by bus for their return flights home when the flood hit. Their last communication was sent around 8:27 a.m. Nepal time, approximately 10 minutes before a mountain slope collapsed.

The floods were triggered by a massive ice and rockslide from a Himalayan mountain slope, creating a destructive torrent of water, ice, mud, and debris that obliterated communities and the Gyirong Port border crossing. This crossing is frequently used by pilgrims traveling to or from Mount Kailash.

Vladyslava Horlova, whose mother Elena was traveling with the group, has faced conflicting information. While the Nepali government initially listed her mother as missing, the Chinese embassy confirmed Elena had left China. Horlova worries her mother might have been in a transitional area between the two countries when the disaster struck, a concern shared by other relatives.

Efforts to gather information have led Horlova to contact various organizations, including the Ukrainian embassy in China and the Red Cross. Like many others, she has submitted DNA samples to aid the identification process. China has stated it will notify embassies of identified foreign remains but has not provided details on confirmed identities.

Despite the month that has passed, some families remain hopeful. Visich, Kalynychenko’s partner, has created a support guide for others experiencing similar uncertainty, emphasizing mental well-being amid the crisis.