Search for Missing Parents in Nepal

Shreya Ahuja, a 30-year-old physician residing in North Carolina, recently shared her distressing experience following flash floods in Nepal. Her parents vanished after they had completed a pilgrimage trek to Mount Kailash and were moving toward the border.

Ahuja had last spoken to her parents hours before the floods hit. She initially dismissed the danger, thinking it improbable they would be in the affected area. However, messages soon arrived from relatives about the disaster.

Authorities reported over 500 fatalities in Nepal due to the floods, with more than 1,500 individuals still missing. Waves reached nearly 30 feet high as they surged between Tibet and Nepal. Ahuja’s parents were among those missing.

Deepak and Madhu Ahuja, originally from India, settled in the U.S. in the 1990s. They owned a small business in Dallas and embarked on the pilgrimage for Deepak’s 60th birthday. Their last location was the Gyirong border crossing where CCTV showed floods destroying their group’s building.

Ahuja, now in Washington, D.C., with family, shared her ordeal, stating, “It’s essentially been one long day. Haven’t really slept.” She urged collaboration among Nepal, India, China, and the U.S., appealing for government assistance.

She requested Starlink authorization in Nepal, citing contacts at SpaceX had tried deploying dishes without approval. Ahuja stressed these efforts could facilitate communication on the ground.

The complete interview can be listened to via the embedded audio player above. The interview was produced by Lilly Quiroz and Adam Bearne, with digital editing by Treye Green.