Shreya Ahuja, a physician residing in North Carolina, recently experienced profound anxiety as she searched for her parents, missing in Nepal following severe flooding. Ahuja had spoken with her parents shortly before the natural disaster hit, unaware of the peril that lay ahead.
Her parents, Deepak and Madhu Ahuja, had completed a pilgrimage trek to Mount Kailash and were moving toward the border. The next morning, reports of flash floods began to surface. In an interview with Morning Edition, Ahuja explained her initial attempts to reach her parents. “I tried texting them. I tried calling them. Initially, I wasn’t too concerned,” she said. She knew the odds of them being in the flood’s exact path seemed remote.
The disaster’s toll has been significant. According to Nepal police, as of Friday, over 500 people were confirmed dead, and more than 1,500 remained missing after nearly 30-foot-high waves surged through the area.
The Ahuja family originally came from India but moved to the United States in the 1990s. They now own a small business in Dallas. On this journey, they were celebrating Deepak Ahuja’s 60th birthday.
The last known location of Ahuja’s parents was the Gyirong border crossing between China and Nepal. She revealed that CCTV footage captured the moment flooding destroyed the building where they and their group were believed to be present.
Currently staying with family in Washington, D.C., Ahuja described it as “essentially one long day,” with little rest. Their hope is to locate her parents in time.
Ahuja called on individuals to reach out to their local legislators, seeking cooperative efforts among India, Nepal, China, and the United States. Additionally, she advocated for the authorization of Starlink in Nepal. Friends at SpaceX mentioned attempts to deploy Starlink dishes, but they lacked approval. “These are all tangible things that could really help us get into contact with people on the ground,” Ahuja emphasized.
You can listen to the full interview by clicking the play button above. The radio interview was produced and edited by Lilly Quiroz and Adam Bearne, while the digital version was edited by Treye Green.
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