Anil Goel, a 67-year-old resident of Northern Virginia and former World Bank employee, is among more than 1,400 people reported missing following flash floods and mudslides at the Nepal-Tibet border. Goel was part of a trekking group at the Rasuwagadhi immigration checkpoint on Wednesday morning when a torrent of mud and water destroyed the facility.
The disaster was triggered by the collapse of a Himalayan glacier and its supporting rock ledge. Satellite imagery confirmed that the border post facility at Gyirong Port was decimated by the floodwaters. Goel's family reported that his visa was approved at the checkpoint at 8:35 a.m. local time, approximately 35 minutes before the area was overwhelmed.
Goel was traveling with 10 other Americans and two Nepali nationals through the trekking company Classic Vacations. His son, Anurag Goel, provided a photo taken at the border crossing shortly before the event, though it does not show his father. While the U.S. State Department indicated up to 90 Americans may be impacted, Nepal's Foreign Ministry stated on Friday that it does not currently require foreign assistance for search and rescue operations.
Authorities said about 1,500 people were still missing on both sides of the border Friday, including as many as 540 foreign nationals from 31 countries. The scale of the search area is compounded by the destruction of communication and border infrastructure. Local media in Nepal said the number of missing could be as high as 12,000, though there was no official confirmation of that figure.
Goel, a seasoned trekker, was on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. His family, located in Virginia, Massachusetts, and California, is awaiting news as rescue efforts continue. A swollen glacial lake upstream remains a concern for further flooding. While China's state television described the lake risks as "manageable," the threat remains a concern for rescue efforts. As of Friday, no timeline was provided for when the border facility might be rebuilt or when a final tally of the missing would be confirmed.