Nepal floods: US Congressman joins vigil for missing, prays for miracle

US Congressman Suhas Subramanyam joined a vigil in Virginia for Nepal flood victims, stating families still await answers about missing loved ones. He highlighted challenges in record-keeping and is pushing for better rescue equipment for the search.

Families await answers about missing loved ones, says US Congressman

US Congressman Suhas Subramanyam on Thursday (local time) said families affected by the devastating floods in Nepal were still awaiting answers about their missing loved ones, as he joined relatives of victims and members of the Virginia community at a candlelight vigil in South Riding. Speaking to the media at the Nepal Floods Community Vigil, Subramanyam said there was still uncertainty over the exact number of people missing and their whereabouts.

“We didn't know, and we still don't know exactly what's happened, who's missing, who we can possibly find at this point,” Subramanyam said. “So much time has gone by at this point that we're praying for a miracle or praying for closure at this point. But I know the community really wanted to come together and at the very least think of the families and think of those who are missing,” he added.

Challenges in rescue and call for better equipment

On efforts to establish the whereabouts of those missing, Subramanyam said the situation was challenging due to difficulties with record-keeping in Nepal and the scale of the ongoing rescue operation. “It's challenging because we're talking about Nepal, which isn't always the most organised when it comes to record-keeping, and is overwhelmed by the need to lead a very difficult rescue,” he said.

He also said local leaders had been working with him to press the US State Department and Department of War to provide updated equipment to those involved in the rescue. “I know a lot of local leaders have been working with me to push the State Department, and even the Department of Defense, to get everyone on the ground the most up-to-date equipment," he said "Now that they have the equipment, we want this to be a thorough search and rescue, but we want to make sure that we can at the very least bring closure to the families,” Subramanyam added.

Subramanyam also called for greater investment in disaster prediction and prevention programmes, saying early warning systems could help reduce the impact of future natural disasters. “We had cut USAID funding in that area of predicting and preventing natural disasters in that region. That's going to come back to haunt us, I think, when it comes to not only this but many other events that are happening around the world,” he added.

Giving an update on those affected in Virginia, Subramanyam said his office was working with five families and estimated that around 11 Virginians had been affected. He said around 70 Americans remained unaccounted for. “We know of five who have come to our office. We're working with five families right now. We're estimating around 11 Virginians total, and about 70 Americans still unaccounted for at this point,” he said.

Virginia community stands in solidarity

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman, who addressed the gathering, said the tragedy had affected families across the wider Northern Virginia community. “It just shows how tight our community is, how much these things matter to us, how important it is for us to recognise the tragedy that unfolded," Chapman said. "This impacts us all. It impacts us all as a community, as a family, and we all have to keep everybody in our prayers, keep the faith, do whatever we can to kind of help all those who are struggling,” he added.

Chapman said the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office would continue to support members of the community affected by the disaster. “Your Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, we're here to help in any way that we can. We've got an incredible team of dedicated people that really care about our community,” he said.

The sheriff urged those gathered to continue praying for the victims and families awaiting information about their missing relatives. “Let's just hope that we learn more as it goes along and that we all learn how to come to grips with this horrific tragedy,” Chapman said.

Over 1,300 dead, 5,000 still missing

A candlelight vigil was held for those affected by the recent deadly flooding in Nepal. Members of a Virginia community joined relatives of the flood victims for the gathering. Congressman Suhas Subramanyam stood alongside these families as they continue searching for missing loved ones, still holding onto hope that they may be found alive.

This comes following the catastrophic flash floods that hit Nepal's Rasuwa region last month, whose death toll has reached 1,377, according to the latest update released by Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Thursday morning. Chitwan remains the worst-hit district with 364 recorded fatalities, followed by Nawalparasi East (228), Nawalparasi West (222), Nuwakot (198), Rasuwa (178), Gorkha (70), Dhading (70), and Tanahun (38), while two individuals succumbed to injuries during treatment in Kathmandu.

According to the NDRRMA, emergency search and rescue teams have successfully pulled 13,656 individuals to safety. However, anxiety persists as 5,130 people--including local residents, government employees, financial institution staff, foreign nationals, and security personnel--remain unaccounted for. Authorities noted that the missing list was adjusted downward by 104 following successful body identifications.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)