President Trump has pledged U.S. support to Nepal following devastating flash floods, as efforts continue to locate approximately 90 missing American citizens, including many Indian Americans.
President Donald Trump has extended U.S. assistance to Nepal in the wake of catastrophic flash floods that struck the Nepal-Tibet border, offering the country “anything they want” as American officials work diligently to locate around 90 U.S. citizens who remain unaccounted for, including a significant number of Indian Americans.
During a press briefing at the White House on Thursday, Trump characterized the devastation as “terrible,” noting that the United States has been in direct communication with Nepalese leaders. “We’ve called Nepal, and we’ve offered any help that they need,” he stated, describing how the powerful floodwaters and mud swept away even well-constructed buildings “like they were toothpicks.”
Trump further emphasized the U.S. commitment to aid, saying, “We are sending aid, and we’ve spoken to the leadership, and we let them know anything they want, we’ll have.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the administration’s focus on rescuing Americans affected by the disaster, underscoring that their safety is a priority for both President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “We’re focusing on rescuing every American that we possibly can, and that effort will continue,” she said.
The Trump administration has already allocated $500,000 in emergency assistance through Catholic Relief Services to provide shelter, relief supplies, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance to communities impacted by the disaster. Additionally, the State Department is deploying a disaster response advisor to the region to bolster relief efforts, while the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu collaborates closely with local authorities to locate and assist American citizens.
This assistance comes as families across the United States anxiously await news about their loved ones caught in the disaster, which struck the mountainous border region on Wednesday. U.S. officials report that approximately 90 Americans remain unaccounted for, many of whom were believed to be trekking or on pilgrimages to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site revered by Hindus and Buddhists.
Among those missing are at least 22 Indian Americans affiliated with the Isha Foundation, an organization founded by Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. They were part of a larger group returning from Mount Kailash when the floods struck the Gyirong immigration center along the border. One of the missing, Sridevi Vejella, had just completed the pilgrimage—described by her husband, Deepak Dandu, as a “lifetime dream”—just moments before the disaster hit.
Dandu, a U.S. citizen, shared that he was traveling to Hyderabad, India, where the couple’s 13-year-old son was staying with family while they awaited news about Vejella. “He is going through a lot, hearing all the news,” Dandu said.
Additionally, a group of 10 men from Northern Virginia who had set out on a trek to Mount Kailash remain missing. Nine of them are U.S. citizens: Anil Goel, Srinivas Sudhir Rangu, Laxminath Gopisetty, Keshav Rao, Kirti Acharya, Sudhindra Yapalparvi, Vivek Srivastav, Venkat Balasubramanyam, and Venkat Bangalore. The tenth member, Mahendra Gupta, is a Canadian citizen.
Sneha Sudhir, whose husband is among the missing men, reported that families have been unable to reach the group by phone since the flooding and have been in contact with officials in the United States and abroad in an effort to locate them.
Sisters Shreya and Ashna Ahuja have also appealed for international assistance and coordination to help locate their parents, Deepak and Madhu Ahuja of Dallas, Texas. The couple had traveled to Mount Kailash on a “bucket list” trip to celebrate Deepak Ahuja’s 60th birthday.
Siblings Radhika and Akash Sharma are traveling to Nepal to join the search for their parents, Ramesh Sharma, 65, and Neelam Sharma, 64, of New York City. They expressed their intention to assist directly in the efforts to locate their parents.
Other individuals reported missing include Rekha and Rashi Shashidharan, a mother and daughter from New York, and Venus Rajnikant Patel, 45, an Indian-born U.S. citizen from Cincinnati who had been traveling toward Mount Kailash.
Representative Suhas Subramanyam (D-Virginia), whose 10th Congressional District includes parts of Northern Virginia where several of the missing Indian Americans reside, stated that his office is in regular contact with the State Department and is advocating for a thorough search-and-rescue effort. “The news of the flash floods at the Nepal-Tibet border is devastating,” Subramanyam remarked. “I am especially concerned that so many U.S. citizens have been impacted and are currently missing, including many of my constituents from Northern Virginia.”
Subramanyam noted that some of the missing individuals were community leaders seeking spiritual connection in the Himalayas. He assured that his team is working to ensure a comprehensive search-and-rescue operation and maintaining regular communication with families seeking information about their loved ones.
Families have also reached out to Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) and to diplomatic missions representing Nepal, India, and China as they seek information and assistance in locating those missing in the remote Himalayan region.
The State Department has stated that it is closely monitoring the crisis and extended its “deepest condolences” to families who have lost loved ones in the floods. The disaster has devastated communities across Nepal’s Rasuwa district and areas across the border in Tibet, sweeping away homes, hotels, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, leaving large areas difficult to access. A glacier collapse is believed to have triggered the catastrophic surge of water, mud, ice, and debris, although authorities and scientists continue to assess the precise sequence of events.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing amid concerns about additional flooding from newly formed lakes and blocked waterways in the mountainous region. The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu is assisting Americans affected by the disaster, while the State Department has established channels for families seeking information about missing relatives. U.S. citizens in Nepal requiring urgent assistance can contact the embassy at KathmanduACS@state.gov. Those seeking information about family members can call 1-888-407-4747 from the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries.
According to The American Bazaar, the situation remains critical as efforts continue to locate the missing individuals and provide aid to affected communities.