Nepal Floods: 30 Israelis, Jews Among Missing After Glacier Collapse

In the wake of devastating flash floods in Nepal, approximately 30 Jews and locals, including two Israelis, are reported missing. The disaster struck on August 26 near the China-Nepal border when a glacier collapse triggered a torrent of water, mud, and rocks, destroying villages, bridges, and roads, and isolating numerous areas. The Chabad center in Kathmandu, usually a gathering point for hundreds of Israeli travelers around the Rosh Hashanah holiday, has become a hub for coordinating search and rescue efforts.

Rabbi Chizki and Chani Lipshitz, Chabad emissaries in Nepal, are working around the clock, communicating with worried families worldwide and liaising with authorities. They have dispatched a support team with food and medical supplies, awaiting access to areas only reachable by air. Chani Lipshitz noted the immense difficulty in identifying bodies covered in mud and the efforts to prevent mass burials, ensuring proper Jewish burial rites for all identified Jewish victims.

The floods occurred during Nepal's peak trekking season, a time when the country hosts many tourists. Nepalese authorities report over 1,000 fatalities and 4,400 missing individuals, with ongoing efforts to locate the missing and support their families. The Lipshitzes have shifted from preparing holiday meals to managing rescue operations, fielding calls from concerned relatives globally searching for missing Jews.

The extensive destruction of infrastructure, including dozens of suspension bridges and roads connecting Kathmandu to the northern border, has severely hampered rescue operations. Communication lines were also significantly disrupted. Access to many affected regions is now limited to air transport, complicating the search for survivors and the recovery of victims.