A California couple narrowly escaped a catastrophic landslide that triggered flash flooding in Nepal, destroying communities and claiming at least 682 lives as of Saturday. Anjana Raja and her husband, Pattabiraman Venkatesan, were traveling near the Chinese-Nepali border when a massive glacier chunk collapsed, unleashing a terrifying wave of water, mud, and debris.
Raja described the event, which occurred Wednesday morning, as a "dark black" and "tsunami-like" force that moved with astonishing speed. "I grabbed him by the collar, and I said, 'Run, we need to go right now,'" Raja told ABC News, recounting the moment she urged her husband to abandon their tour bus.
They fled with their tour group to higher ground, witnessing the devastating floodwaters engulfing buses, SUVs, people, and an entire base camp. "When we reached the second level ... I saw the water come up to the slope and move our bus. I told my husband 'That's it, we're gone. We're going to die,'" Raja recalled. From a third level, they watched as the deluge, estimated to be 50 to 60 feet high, swept through the valley.
The United States Geological Survey initially detected the seismic event as a magnitude 5.2 earthquake but later identified it as a powerful glacial collapse and subsequent debris flow. The event pulverized ice and swept up rocks and debris into the Lende Khola River, causing catastrophic impacts downstream.
Disaster relief efforts are underway, with thousands of people still unaccounted for. The US State Department reported on Friday that approximately 90 Americans are missing, though no deaths of US nationals have been confirmed. Among those missing are families traveling to the sacred Mount Kailash pilgrimage site.
Rescuers are working around the clock, and international aid has been pledged. The Nepali finance minister indicated that rebuilding efforts could cost between $4 billion and $5 billion. The World Bank, India, China, and the US have committed $229 million to a relief fund. Despite the harrowing experience, Raja expressed a determination to complete their spiritual journey to Mount Kailash at a later time.