Nepali community in Chicago concerned for loved ones back home after deadly flash flood

Nepali Americans in Chicago were awaiting word of family members in their homeland on Wednesday, after a devastating flash flood killed at least 160 people and left more than 400 missing in Nepal.

Experts think an ice avalanche triggered the flood, when a chunk of glacier broke off, crashing hundreds of feet into a valley in the Himalayan country's northern border areas.

The Himalayan mountains, dotted with deep valleys and narrow gorges, have made rescue operations challenging.

Thirty-three U.S. nationals were among the 341 foreigners listed as missing, according to Nepal's Tourism Board, citing information from tour companies. 

"So many people died, looks like, because government cannot do – very short timeframe – they cannot figure it out how many dead," said Bala Ghimire, president of Nepali Cultural Center Chicago.

Ghimire said one Chicago family fears their loved ones are among the dead.

"Their grandparents are missing. That's what I just heard," he said.

About 15,000 Nepali Americans live in Chicago. The Edgewater neighborhood is home to thousands with roots in Nepal.

An inaugural street festival was held in Edgewater earlier this month to celebrate the Nepali community. It was held down the block from a new mural depicting the faces of the culture.

At Kathmandu Cafe on Broadway large screen TVs display videos of the majestic mountains and glaciers in Nepal that gave way to the tragedy on display in the Himalayas.

"It is so shocking news. We never thought that this news was going to come," Ghimire said.

The flash floods decimated villages, slamming into houses, roads, bridges and power plants. Videos broadcast by regional news outlets and posted on social media show violent torrents of water surging through valleys and mountain passes, tearing down bridges and dams and sweeping away buildings.

Leaders from the Nepali community in Chicago met on Wednesday met to discuss how to help those back home and how they will raise funds for the survivors of the flash flood.