As the possibility of more mudslides threaten towns along the Nepal-China border, the search continues for more than 2,400 people missing, including dozens of U.S. citizens, after last week's catastrophic floods. Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said Sunday that 734 bodies have been recovered four days after nearly 30-foot high waves of water swept through mountain valleys. The Red Cross estimated that more than 90,000 people were affected by the flooding.
Nepal says it has deployed thousands of rescue workers, with people still being found alive this weekend. As of Sunday morning, 85 Americans are still unaccounted for, according to U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
"We've also now seen nine Americans be safely evacuated. We are currently unaware of any U.S. citizen deaths at this time," Pigott said during an interview with ABC News "This Week." Among the Americans missing are tourists, hikers and those on a pilgrimage to the holy site of Mount Kailash, which is located in a remote part of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It's considered a once-in-a-lifetime journey for several faiths.
Divya Chandrashekar told NPR that her brother-in-law Ragu Rajan, and his wife, Archana Suresh, had planned the trip to Mount Kailash for the past year. The couple from Murphy, Tx. started their journey from Kathmandu on Aug. 25 and were crossing the Nepal-China border when the floods hit. Their last known location was near the Gyirong Port border post on the morning of the floods.
The Bhote Koshi, the Nepali name for "Tibetan river," completely wiped out the border checkpoint and the Friendship Bridge that connects Nepal and China. Security footage posted by China's state broadcaster, CCTV, showed a wall of mud and water hitting the buildings. Chandrashekar described Rajan and Suresh as "spiritual, loved the outdoors, enjoyed their treks, very good parents." She said the couple were planning to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in November.
Shreya Ahuja, who lives in North Carolina, told NPR that she spoke with her parents, Deepak and Madhu Ahuja, hours before the flood. Both are U.S. citizens and small business owners in Dallas, their daughter said. They had finished the pilgrimage for her father's 60th birthday and told her they were heading back to the border post.
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