Nepal floods: Two Indian-origin couples from Texas missing

Houston(US): A non-profit organisation said four Indian-origin people from Texas have been missing since the catastrophic Nepal-Tibet flash floods and launched an emergency tracking desk, releasing USD 100,000 in relief funds.

Deepak Ahuja (60) and Madhu Ahuja (57), business owners from north Texas, were returning from a Mount Kailash pilgrimage when contact was lost near the Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border following the floods that severed local communications networks.

“We all immediately started calling our parents. No answer,” said Ashna Ahuja, daughter of the missing couple. “We just love them a lot and want them to come home.”

A second couple from Murphy, Texas—Archana Suresh and Raghu Rajan—also remains unaccounted for in the Rasuwagadhi-Timure sector. US consular officials estimate approximately 85 to 90 American citizens were initially missing across the impacted river basin.

Non-profit USA raises over 55,000 USD for flood relief

Texas-headquartered Sewa International USA announced Tuesday, September 2, that it has raised over USD 55,000 within 24 hours for its “Nepal Flash Flood Relief” drive and established a missing persons portal (⁠sewausa.org/NepalRescue⁠).

“Flash floods have devastated parts of Nepal, killing hundreds and sweeping away many devotees gathered for the Kailash Yatra,” said Srikanth Gundavarapu, President of Sewa International USA. “It is heart-wrenching to see the suffering and grief of people.”

The organisation confirmed that several of its own US-based volunteers who were near the border during the disaster are among those missing.

“Sewa’s immediate priority is to help families who have lost their homes, are stranded, and face hunger, cold, and health emergencies,” said Vinayak Astekar, Sewa’s Associate Director for Disaster Response.

Ground relief teams have dispatched shelter materials, 300 heavy-duty tarpaulins, emergency food rations, and medical supplies—including 5,000 packets of oral rehydration solution—to affected communities in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts.