Families of missing Americans urge Rubio to expand Nepal flood search

Washington,UPDATED: Sep 4, 2026 10:26 IST

Families of American nationals missing after the catastrophic flash floods in Nepal have written to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asking for an expansion of rescue operations to trace their relatives. At least 90 US nationals have been unaccounted for since the devastating floods swept through northern and central Nepal on August 26.

In a letter dated August 29, the families said they expected a stronger response from their government for the missing Americans. “We want all of them found. We write as Americans because we expected more from our own government for the Americans among them,” they said.

The letter was signed by relatives and friends of 57 missing people, including 31 Americans and 26 people of other nationalities. Most of those missing were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, travelling on the route through Rasuwa district and crossing into Tibet at Gyirong.

The family members said they had not been told of “any American aircraft, search team, or consular officer in the valley”, and added that they spent two days calling the numbers provided by the State Department without success. They asked for the deployment of high-altitude aircraft and search equipment, satellite imagery and advanced analysis, emergency connectivity through Starlink, direct coordination between US consulates and Nepal’s ministries, and the deployment of urban search teams along with increased funding for the rescue effort.

Ajay Bhutoria, former White House adviser and Indian-American community leader, said, “In moments of crisis, swift unity and action are our strongest tools.” The families also asked the US government to seek consular access and information from China and to coordinate rescue efforts with other governments. “Coordinate with Australia, the United Kingdom, India, and Singapore, whose people were in the same tour groups as our relatives,” the letter said.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s death toll from the flash floods rose to 1,282 on Friday, with more bodies being recovered as rescue and search operations continued for more than 4,700 missing people. The families’ appeal to Rubio comes amid these continuing efforts to locate survivors and trace those still unaccounted for.

With PTI Inputs

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