💛 A quick favor, if you've got a second.
We're really happy that you chose to read one of our stories and sincerely hope you'll stick around to read more. We took our paywall down — for now — but that won't last forever, and when the gate goes back up, we'd love for you to already be on the inside.
It's free. So please enter your email here and don't forget to like and follow us on all of your favorite Social Media platforms!
A family is racing to locate an American man who disappeared during a devastating Himalayan flood that has claimed hundreds of lives along the Nepal-Tibet border. Jitendra Patel was part of a group traveling toward Mount Kailash when mudslides and flash flooding swept through the region on Wednesday, and his son Sunny Patel learned of his father’s potential involvement only after viewing widely circulated disaster footage.
Upon watching the viral video of the catastrophic torrent, Sunny Patel recognized the location and immediately contacted his mother with his suspicion. She confirmed that the disaster zone matched precisely where Jitendra Patel had been traveling, prompting the family to launch an urgent search effort across multiple agencies and governments.
Sunny Patel reported that his last communication with his father occurred Wednesday morning, when he believed Jitendra had already crossed into China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. The family has since filed missing person reports with embassies in Kathmandu and Beijing, the U.S. State Department, and numerous other organizations, though responses remain limited regarding individuals on the Chinese side of the border.
Experts attribute the disaster to a massive chunk of glacier ice that broke away and plunged into the Lhende Khola River, generating enormous waves of rock, ice and debris through the mountain valleys. Current casualty figures exceed 600 confirmed deaths, with more than 3,000 individuals unaccounted for and over 4,000 rescued to date.
Jitendra Patel was traveling with a pilgrimage group heading to Mount Kailash, a destination that draws thousands of spiritual seekers annually. According to his son, the group was originally scheduled to reach the area one day earlier but experienced vehicle troubles that may have altered their timeline significantly.
Sunny Patel described his father as profoundly kind and optimistic, someone who consistently expressed faith and gratitude regardless of circumstances. “He believed in the goodness of everybody, probably to a fault,” Sunny said, adding that his father’s characteristic response to any inquiry about his wellbeing was, “I’m the best, God is great.”
Search and rescue operations were suspended Saturday due to heavy rain and dense fog in the region. Disaster officials are simultaneously monitoring two lakes created by the catastrophic flooding upstream, one of which has experienced periodic overflow.
More Stories
Forest Service Proposes Steep Fee Increases at Lake Tahoe Recreation Sites
Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Byron Donalds Discusses Florida’s Future
New York’s Colombian Community Mobilizes Relief Efforts Following Recent Earthquakes