NY doctor’s desperate plea for her parents who went missing in catastrophic Nepal flash floods: ‘Worst 24 hours of my life’

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Cite

Bradford, C. (2026, August 27). NY doctor’s desperate plea for her parents who went missing in catastrophic Nepal flash floods: ‘Worst 24 hours of my life’. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/08/27/us-news/ny-docs-desperate-plea-for-missing-parents-caught-in-nepal-floods/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

New York Post · collected 2026-08-27 · by Chris Bradford

Quick Summary

Dr. Radhika Sharma, a New York-based gastroenterology fellow, is desperately searching for her missing parents, Ramesh and Neelam, who were caught in Wednesday's catastrophic flash floods in Nepal while on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. According to the latest reports, at least 270 people have died and 826 are still missing in Nepal, with 65 Americans among them. Dr. Sharma is relying on social media to gather information about her parents' whereabouts, describing the past 24 hours as "the worst" of her life. The floods were caused by a glacier collapse that triggered an ice avalanche, resulting in widespread destruction and damage to infrastructure.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-08-27, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

Nepal faced devastating flash floods on August 26, triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, resulting in over 900 deaths and nearly 5,000 missing people across Nepal and Tibet. Rescue teams from multiple countries, including China, are searching for hundreds of workers believed to be trapped in hydropower tunnels. The disaster has prompted international relief efforts; Australia dispatched a specialized team including 10 personnel from Fire and Rescue NSW as part of an $11 million humanitarian support package. Meanwhile, social media erupted with racist comments towards missing Australians, highlighting tensions within affected communities.

Written for “Nepal Flood Rescue Efforts” on 2026-10-16, grounded in this article and the 62 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Nepal Flood Rescue Efforts
World · 63 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 13% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
BBC News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 14% hedged 3 of 21 📰 publisher trust 69
“Both articles report on the same flash flood that occurred along the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday, August 26th, which resulted in multiple casualties and missing persons.”
Al Jazeera
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 6% hedged 1 of 18 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles report on a flash flood in Nepal that occurred on August 26, 2026, with Article A mentioning a death toll of at least eight and Article B describing the disappearance of a doctor's parents in the floods.”
The Hindu
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 26% hedged 6 of 23 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles describe a flash flood in Nepal that occurred on August 26, 2026, causing deaths and destruction, and specifically mention the districts of Rasuwa and the missing parents on pilgrimage”
Toronto Star
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 2 📰 publisher trust 63
“Both articles describe the same flash flood incident in Nepal that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th, with Article A providing a broader overview of the disaster and Article B focusing on a specific family's experience.”
ABC News (US)
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 33% hedged 1 of 3 📰 publisher trust 59
“Both articles report on the flash flooding in Nepal that occurred on Wednesday, with Article A mentioning at least three American tourists among the missing and Article B reporting a personal plea from an American doctor whose parents are missing”
CBC News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 12% hedged 4 of 33 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles describe the same catastrophic floods in Nepal, Tibet, on August 26th (referred to as Wednesday) with many people missing, including foreigners like Dr. Sharma's parents and 25 Canadians”
ABC News (US)
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 11% hedged 3 of 27 📰 publisher trust 59
“Both articles describe the same catastrophic flash flooding incident in Nepal-Tibet on Wednesday that resulted in numerous missing and confirmed deaths, with one article specifically mentioning a doctor's missing parents who were caught in the floods.”
New York Post
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 15% hedged 5 of 33 📰 publisher trust 67
“Both articles describe a catastrophic flash flood in Nepal that occurred on Wednesday, triggered by an ice avalanche, around the same time.”
The Hindu
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 7 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles report on the same flash floods in Nepal on August 27, 2026, with Article A mentioning a death toll and missing Indians, while Article B reports on a specific family's situation, but both are referencing the same event.”
UPI
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 23% hedged 3 of 13 📰 publisher trust 56
“Both articles report on the same flash flood incident in Nepal that occurred on Wednesday morning, citing similar details such as the location (north-central Nepal), the trigger (avalanche), and the time frame (Wednesday morning)”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
38
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
13%
5 of 38 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
67/100
New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
63
World
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-08-27 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

New York Post · 10960 article(s) · 31 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 31 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Chris Bradford
70 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Because what you see with your eyes, you will not believe.
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🔮 His mom has since been hospitalized “after losing her precious son,” his devastated sibling revealed, adding his death has left an “irreplaceable void.” Jilani died after recently becoming an uncle to his niece and he “couldn’t wait to spoil [her] and teach her martial arts,” Bustamente added.
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Also by Chris Bradford
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 70 articles by Chris Bradford →

Topics

China Gyirong/Tibet NBC Nepal a “New Yorker

Subjects

Nepal GPE · 8× Sharma PERSON · 3× China GPE · 2× India GPE · 2× the State Department ORG · 2× Gyirong/Tibet GPE · 1× NBC ORG · 1× Neelam PERSON · 1× Radhika Sharma PERSON · 1× Ramesh PERSON · 1×

Narrative

Radhika Sharma said her parents Ramesh, 65, and Neelam, 64, are “missing and unaccounted” for after the couple was caught in Wednesday’s floods and landslides while on a pilgrimage to the sacred peak of Mount Kailash.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-08-27
🔮 “I would greatly appreciate any help.

Claims (38 extracted, 5 hedged)

Radhika Sharma said her parents Ramesh, 65, and Neelam, 64, are “missing and unaccounted” for after the couple was caught in Wednesday’s floods and landslides while on a pilgrimage to the sacred peak of Mount Kailash. asserted
couple → say → Kailash
Sharma revealed she hasn’t heard from her parents since they crossed the Nepal-China border at 8 a.m local time Wednesday – some 40 minutes before the floods hit. asserted
floods → reveal → a.m
“It’s been probably over 24 hours, and probably been the worst 24 hours of my life, my brother’s life,” she told NBC. asserted
she → tell → NBC
“We’re just waiting to hear from them, and just any information, honestly.” asserted
We → wait → them
Sharma said she has been put on the ground with people on the ground in Nepal thanks to social media. asserted
she → say → media
On Wednesday, she turned to her social platforms for help finding her parents. asserted
she → turn → parents
“If you have any direct contacts in Nepal, Gyirong/Tibet, local hospitals, rescue operations, government/local media, anyone on the ground – PLEASE DM/contact me immediately,” Radhika wrote on X on Wednesday. asserted
Radhika → have → Wednesday
“I would greatly appreciate any help. asserted
I → appreciate → help
Sharma, who describes herself as a “New Yorker always,” graduated from The Bronx High School of Science in 2012 before she completed a Bachelor of Science degree in biology at Stony Brook University in 2016, according to her LinkedIn. uncertain
she → describe → LinkedIn
She then studied at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine between 2016 and 2020, where she received a doctorate. asserted
she → study → doctorate
For the past six years, she has been enrolled at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville. asserted
she → enrol → Jacksonville
Wednesday’s floods have left at least 270 people dead and 826 missing in Nepal. asserted
826 → leave → Nepal
Three fatalities have been reported in Tibet and 558 people are missing, according to local authorities. uncertain
people → report → authorities
In Nepal, 644 foreign nationals are missing — 65 coming from the USA. asserted
65 → miss → USA
Authorities confirmed that 178 tourists from India are among those who are unaccounted for. asserted
who → confirm → those
Tourists from more than 30 countries are thought to be missing. asserted
Tourists → think → countries
Nepal’s foreign minister Shisir Khanal told the country’s parliament Wednesday that initial reports suggested the floods, which hit around 8:40 a.m. local time, may have been the result of an avalanche triggered by an earthquake. uncertain
which → tell → earthquake
The US Geological Survey reported a 4.4-magnitude quake around 41 miles north of Kathmandu before it later confirmed no quake had actually struck. asserted
quake → report → Kathmandu
It’s now thought a glacier collapse was behind the flooding. asserted
collapse → think → flooding
A chunk of ice snapped off a glacier high in the Himalayas and fell from a height of around 17,000 feet, smashing into a valley floor and triggering an ice avalanche, Al Jazeera reported. asserted
Jazeera → snap → avalanche
As the ice was falling, it was picking up debris and it struck the Lhende River – located around 12 miles from the Nepal-China border. asserted
it → fall → border
The debris accumulation initially caused the river to be blocked up before the dam gave way, sending a violent torrent downstream. asserted
dam → cause → torrent
Around 25 miles of roads were washed away, with 19 bridges destroyed. Water levels on the Trishuli River rose by 27 feet in just half an hour as a result of the surge. asserted
levels → wash → surge
Dozens of homes were swept away by the crushing masses of water that overwhelmed villages. asserted
that → sweep → villages
Survivors were forced to cling to mango trees to avoid being swept away – as they watched their homes being destroyed. asserted
homes → force → trees
Around 10,000 homes require immediate relief, according to the UN, and there has been a major international response. uncertain
homes → require → UN
The US is sending a disaster response adviser and has set aside $500,000 in assistance, “supporting emergency shelter, relief items, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance to flood-affected communities.” asserted
US → send → communities
“The United States extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the devastating flash floods in the Rasuwa district of Nepal. asserted
who → extend → Nepal
Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster,” the State Department said. asserted
Department → affect → disaster
“The State Department is closely monitoring the situation and is deploying a disaster response advisor to the region to support response efforts.” asserted
Department → monitor → efforts
India has sent 22,046 pounds of disaster-relief supplies, including temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and medicines. asserted
India → send → shelters
Around $1.24 million in funding has been put aside by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. asserted
million → put → Societies
EU Commission President, Ursula Von Der Leyen, said the institution stands ready to “mobilize further European assistance.” asserted
institution → say → assistance
With Post wires. Ramesh and Neelam Sharma are missing after being caught up in the floods that hit the Nepal-Tibet border. asserted
that → miss → border
Roads were turned to sludge and vehicles were left tilting. asserted
vehicles → turn → sludge
Survivors ran past homes that have been damaged in the floods. asserted
that → run → floods
AFP via Getty Images A security official and a sniffer dog search for people who may be trapped. uncertain
who → trap → people
Nepalese army officers carried out rescue operations, carrying one survivor on a stretcher to a helicopter. asserted
officers → carry → helicopter
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