By Lucretia Hughes
KATHMANDU, Nepal — Rescue teams raced against time Thursday to find hundreds of people still missing after a catastrophic wall of water, mud, ice and debris tore through Himalayan communities along the Nepal-Tibet border, killing hundreds and leaving entire communities buried or washed away.
Among those still unaccounted for are 65 Americans, according to the Nepal Tourism Board. More than 640 tourists from more than 30 countries were reported missing as rescue crews struggled to reach communities isolated by destroyed roads, collapsed bridges and damaged communications.
The disaster struck Wednesday morning in Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district near the border with Tibet, sending a massive torrent through communities along the Trishuli River system.
Homes disappeared.
Roads were ripped apart.
Bridges collapsed.
Vehicles were buried or carried downstream.
Entire stretches of once-populated communities were left covered in thick mud and debris.
And for many of the people standing in the flood’s path, there was almost no warning.
Survivors described a terrifying scene as the torrent suddenly came roaring through the Himalayan valleys.
Bibek Kumal, a laborer working downstream from one of the hardest-hit areas, said he began running when he saw the water approaching.
Then the wall of water overtook him.
Kumal was swept downstream through mud and debris before managing to grab onto a mango tree. That tree may have saved his life.
Other survivors told of trying desperately to reach family members as the flood swallowed buildings and carried people away.
What caused it?
Early reports suggested an earthquake may have struck near the Nepal-China border shortly before the flooding.
That initial assessment changed.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the seismic signal initially identified as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake was actually generated by a massive glacial collapse and debris flow.
In other words, the ground shook because an enormous mass of ice, rock and debris was moving — not because a conventional earthquake had occurred.
Satellite analysis examined by Nepal’s disaster authorities indicated that ice and rock collapsed into the Lhende River system roughly 12 miles northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border crossing, unleashing the destructive flow downstream.
That distinction matters.
This was not simply heavy rain causing a river to rise.
An enormous amount of ice, rock, water and debris suddenly moved through an extraordinarily steep Himalayan landscape and into populated areas below.
The result was catastrophic.
65 Americans among the missing
The number of Americans reported missing changed repeatedly Wednesday as authorities attempted to determine who had been traveling through the region.
By Thursday morning, the Nepal Tourism Board reported 65 Americans remained among the missing.
Americans are far from the only foreign nationals caught in the disaster.
Tourists and pilgrims from India, Australia, Britain, Canada and numerous other countries were also reported missing.
Many were traveling through the region because of the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, centered on Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred destination for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and followers of the Bon tradition.
For families thousands of miles away, the waiting may be almost unbearable.
Telephone and internet communications have been disrupted in some affected areas, while destroyed transportation routes have made it difficult for authorities to determine whether people listed as missing are trapped, displaced, injured or dead.
That means the missing-person numbers could continue changing as communications are restored and survivors are located.
Helicopters search from above
Nepal’s military deployed helicopters as rescue teams attempted to reach people trapped by the destruction.
More than 100 people were rescued by helicopter Thursday, according to Nepalese military officials. Foreign nationals were among those airlifted from the disaster zone, while injured survivors were transported to Kathmandu for more advanced medical treatment.
The operation is extraordinarily difficult.
Roads leading into affected communities have disappeared.
Bridges have been washed away.
Buildings are buried in mud.
Electrical and communications infrastructure has been damaged.
And rescuers must contend with the possibility of additional landslides and flooding.
Authorities on the Tibetan side also reported discovering a barrier lake, raising concerns about another potential release of water while rescue operations continue.
America responds
The United States is now involved in the emergency response.
The State Department said it was closely monitoring the disaster and deploying a disaster-response adviser to the region.
The United States also announced $500,000 in emergency assistance through Catholic Relief Services to support shelter, emergency supplies, sanitation, clean water and other immediate humanitarian needs.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed U.S. solidarity with Nepal and said the United States stood ready to support humanitarian relief efforts.
For American families waiting for information, however, the most important mission remains finding the missing.
A disaster measured in minutes
Images from before and after the flooding tell part of the story.
Communities once built tightly along Himalayan river valleys are now surrounded by brown mud, shattered structures and enormous fields of debris.
But photographs cannot capture what those moments must have been like for the people who were there.
Imagine going to work.
Opening your business.
Walking to school.
Traveling with your family.
Making a religious pilgrimage.
Then suddenly hearing something coming down the valley.
Not rain.
Not simply a rising river.
A wall of water, mud, rock and ice powerful enough to move buildings, destroy bridges and carry people downstream.
There was no political affiliation in that water.
There was no nationality in that mud.
Americans, Nepalese, Indians, Chinese, Australians, British and Canadians were suddenly facing exactly the same thing:
Survival.
And this morning, hundreds of families around the world are waiting beside their phones, hoping that someone will call and tell them their loved one has been found alive.
For rescue crews in Nepal and Tibet, every hour matters.
For the families of the 65 missing Americans, every minute probably feels like an eternity.
The numbers will undoubtedly change as search teams reach more isolated communities.
Behind every one of those numbers is a name.
Behind every name is a family waiting for an answer.
And right now, the mission is simple:
Find them.
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