Baltimore company seeks to contact tour group missing in Nepal-Tibet floods
Nearly a week after flash floods tore though areas near Nepal and Tibet's border, thousands of people are still missing. Among them is a group organized by Baltimore-based tour company Himalayan Glacier Adventures.
The company has been working around the clock to find the group -- with staff on the ground in Nepal as well -- but it's getting grim.
Watching from afar
Sanket Pandey has been watching the aftermath of the Nepal-Tibet floods very closely. It becomes more difficult to see with each passing day.
"The hope just goes down, it becomes sort of a harsh reality," Pandey said.
Pandey helps run Himalayan Glacier Adventures, which has guided many through the Himalayas for decades. One of its latest trips included a group of 40 on a religious pilgrimage.
Nine of the 40 are Americans, with the others coming from Canada, Australia, Singapore, and the U.K. There are also seven Nepal-based Himalayan Glacier Adventures staff with the group.
The last time Pandey heard from anyone was Wednesday morning local time. "We lost connection with them, we couldn't reach back out to them around 8:30...after that our team knew that maybe something wasn't right," Pandey said.
Death toll keeps rising
The Nepal National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported the death toll at 939 Monday at 6 p.m. local time.
It also reports nearly 4,000 people are missing. The U.S. Department of State reports around 85 Americans remain missing.
Pandey's father, who is the CEO of Himalayan Glacier Adventures, is also in Nepal trying to find the missing group. But he said his father has been hitting roadblocks.
"Private rescues are not possible...our team would like to go there and find all of our guests and our guides," Pandey said. "It's definitely tough not being able to do more."
As the search goes on, Pandey said there's been one silver lining: the global outpouring of support for his home country.
"That's been a trademark of humanity since the beginning of time and that is in full showcase at this time with Nepal," he said.