Family says Virginia man missing in Nepal floods was "in his happy place"

Anil Goel, a 67-year-old man from Northern Virginia, was last seen at a border checkpoint in Nepal before a catastrophic flood hit on Wednesday morning. His family remains frantic for news, as the death toll from the floods and landslides near the Nepal-Tibet border continues to rise, with at least 1,400 people still missing. Anurag Goel, Anil's son and an engineer in Boston, shared a photo of his father at the checkpoint but noted it doesn't actually show Anil.

The family confirmed his visa was approved at 8:35 a.m. local time, just 35 minutes before the floodwaters surged and destroyed the checkpoint. Anil Goel was en route to the Mount Kailash pilgrimage site in Tibet when the disaster occurred. He had previously visited Nepal ten times for hiking expeditions and considered this region his favorite.

The family hopes for a positive update, though they acknowledge the gravity of the situation. Rescue operations are ongoing, with concerns about a potential glacial lake outburst in the mountains upstream. Authorities report around 1,500 people missing across the border, including up to 540 foreign nationals from 31 countries, with the U.S. State Department estimating up to 90 Americans may be affected.