Several residents of New York and their family members are among the approximately 90 American citizens missing following catastrophic flash floods in Nepal. The disaster, described by local officials as a "tsunami from the sky," occurred Wednesday and was triggered by a glacier collapse.
Among the missing are Long Island locals Amita Amin, 67, and Jitendra Manubhai Patel, 63, along with Tejal Vyomesh Patel, 64, of New Jersey. They were part of a seven-member tour group traveling to Tibet for a religious pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. The group departed from John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens on August 22 and had spent just over a day in Nepal before attempting to cross into Tibet.
According to Aditi Patel, daughter of Tejal Patel and daughter-in-law of Amita Amin, the group was delayed in Kathmandu due to landslides and a tour vehicle breakdown, forcing them to spend an extra night. Aditi Patel stated that her mother’s location data has remained in the vicinity of the immigration building along the Nepal-China border since Wednesday, the day of the floods.
"It’s been the most devastating 48 hours, I think, of my life," Aditi Patel told Newsday. She has been in contact with U.S. embassies in Nepal, China, and India, as well as the U.S. consulate and politicians, in an effort to locate the missing.
Jitendra Patel last communicated with his son, Sunny Patel, at 8:13 a.m. local time on Wednesday, reportedly stating he had cleared Chinese immigration and was in Tibet. Sunny Patel has not heard from his father since the floods, and messages remain undelivered. The flood waters hit the region around 8:37 a.m. local time.
Also missing are New York City residents Ramesh, 65, and Neelam Sharma, who were traveling with the same tour group, Nepal Trekking Planner. Their daughter, Radhika Sharma, a doctor in Queens, last spoke to them about 40 minutes before the floods. "We’re just waiting to hear from them, and just any information, honestly," she told NBC.
Dawa Cerpa, owner of A Taste of Nepal restaurant in Jackson Heights, reported his uncle is also missing. He has been unable to reach friends and relatives by phone.
As of Thursday, more than 390 people have been confirmed dead in the disaster, with over 1,400 people reported missing. Aditi Patel expressed hope for the safe return of all those missing, despite the communication challenges in the affected region.