Kathmandu, Nepal — Amid ongoing rescue operations following severe flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border, Nepali government officials have announced contact with one of the missing U.S. nationals. Approximately 85 Americans remain unaccounted for, offering a glimmer of hope to families worldwide awaiting updates on their loved ones.
As CBS News works to verify further details, the identity, location, and condition of the contacted American remain unknown. The disaster has resulted in more than 4,600 people missing and at least 1,050 deaths reported in Nepal as of Tuesday. In neighboring Tibet, Chinese officials have confirmed 16 fatalities and over 550 individuals missing.
An official report from the Nepal Tourism Board cited rescuers’ contact with five foreign nationals, including one American, three Spaniards, and one Belgian. So far, 315 foreigners have been rescued from the area.
Two U.S. nationals, Anjana Raja and Pattabiraman Venkatesan from San Francisco Bay Area, shared their experience with CBS News. During their pilgrimage to Tibet, they faced a terrifying scene resembling a tsunami as a massive dark wave approached while they traveled by bus. They escaped to higher ground, spending the night in a goat shed with other survivors before receiving emergency airlift services the next day.
In Nepal, about 600 workers at hydroelectric power plants remain missing, possibly trapped in projects affected by the flood. Efforts by rescue teams to clear blocked tunnels and reach trapped workers continue, as concerns grow regarding their oxygen supply.
The disaster resulted from a mountainside and glacier collapse in the Himalayas, triggering avalanches that led to devastating floods. Recovery teams have discovered bodies in downstream riverbeds. The Trishuli River has risen to levels not previously remembered by local residents.
Rohit Tamang, 22, has watched the destruction from his home above the Trishuli River surge last Wednesday. Despite the disaster, he remains in his home, stating, “because my childhood memories are here.”
Nepal’s foreign minister expressed hope that many foreigners, potentially caught hiking during the disaster, might be isolated without communication but relatively safe.
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