Families descend on Nepal in search of missing tourists

A week after devastating floods swept through Nepal's Himalayan border region, families of missing foreigners are desperate for answers. In Kathmandu, American Sanjeev Rai, 53, remains uncertain about his wife Jiwan Jyoti, who vanished while traveling to the sacred Mount Kailash. Rai has given up hope of finding her alive, hoping only for a DNA match.

Over 1,200 people have died and more than 4,750 are still missing in Nepal and China's Tibet region. Of the 583 unaccounted foreigners, many were pilgrims preparing for the challenging trek around Mount Kailash. British Ambassador Rob Fenn expressed the agonizing wait for closure and information, providing psychosocial support to families.

Among the missing is a group of 77 pilgrims from Sadhguru's Isha Foundation, including people from Europe, North America and Australia. Their relatives, guided by the Foundation, regularly visit police stations for updates. As search efforts persist, officials anticipate the disaster will significantly impact Nepal's tourism industry.