At least two couples from North Texas are among the missing after severe flooding devastated Nepal, leaving their families searching for answers while the local Nepalese community mobilizes to provide assistance.
Relatives of a Plano couple are holding onto hope despite the uncertainty. Sushil Ahuja expressed disbelief upon hearing the news, stating, "My first reaction was that cannot be true."
Another missing pair includes Raghu Rajan and Archana Suresh, longtime Murphy residents married for 25 years. The couple was expected to cross the border between China and Nepal on Wednesday morning when the floods struck. Their mobile devices last registered a signal near a bridge that was subsequently washed away.
Divya Chandrashekar, Rajan’s sister-in-law, acknowledged the gravity of the situation but maintained optimism. "We know the severity of it, but still, you know, there's a ray of hope for us to find our loved ones," she said.
The scale of the disaster continues to grow. By Friday, the number of missing individuals had risen to nearly 2,000, with more than 500 confirmed dead.
Bijay Bhusal, president of the Nepalese Society of Texas, stated that his organization is actively working to assist affected families. The group is coordinating efforts between relatives and the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu.
Bhusal noted that many members of the local community have relatives impacted by the disaster. Some are attempting to travel to Nepal to help their families directly. One woman is currently seeking travel documents to search for her missing son, with assistance from the Consulate General in Dallas.
