A couple from Murphy, Texas, are among the unaccounted for following a massive glacier collapse in Nepal that triggered devastating floods, killing over 1,000 people. Archana Suresh, 46, and Raghu Rajan, 50, were on a religious pilgrimage to Mount Kailash to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when the disaster occurred.
Their family last had contact with the couple as they were nearing the Friendship Bridge, which connects Nepal and China, on the morning of August 26. The bridge was subsequently destroyed by the floods. "They were extremely excited about this trip," Divya Chandrashekar, Rajan's sister-in-law, told CBS News. "They [kept] talking about it all the time."
The incident began with seismic activity detected along the Nepal-China border, initially believed to be a magnitude 5.2 earthquake by the U.S. Geological Survey. However, it was later confirmed to be a catastrophic glacial collapse and debris flow. The falling ice pulverized into a mixture of water, debris, and rocks, which then surged down the mountainside into the Lende Khola River, devastating villages in its path.
As of Tuesday, Nepal has reported over 1,000 deaths and nearly 4,000 missing, including 583 foreign nationals. China has reported 16 deaths and 546 missing, with 261 foreigners among them. Rescue efforts in both countries have been severely hampered by the widespread destruction, including landslides and destroyed roads that have cut off access to remote areas.
Volunteers are pictured in Nepal helping residents recover belongings from a house damaged by the devastating floods.
Rescuers are navigating unstable terrain and piles of debris in challenging conditions, with fears that the death toll could rise as isolated communities are reached. Hundreds of workers are believed to be trapped at hydropower projects in Nepal that were damaged by the floods, with approximately 900 workers missing and around 500 potentially trapped in tunnels. In China, search crews have been working near the decimated Gyirong Port border crossing, using search dogs and heavy machinery to clear pathways.
Authorities in Nepal are burying bodies in temporary graves as identification efforts are underway, involving DNA sampling, photography, and recording distinguishing features. Each body is assigned a reference number to aid in later identification by families. Despite the challenges, emergency crews in Nepal have rescued at least 11,814 people using helicopters and other aircraft. China is also providing relief supplies to Nepal, including drones, DNA testing, and water purification equipment, with Chinese DNA experts assisting in body identification.