Families Still Waiting for Answers About More Than 50 Ukrainians Missing After Nepal-China Floods

BANGKOK — September 26, 2026 — Families of more than 50 Ukrainians are still waiting for information about relatives who disappeared during catastrophic floods along the Nepal-China border one month ago.

A Journey That Ended in Disaster

Among those missing is Olena Kalynychenko, 36, who had traveled to Mount Kailash in Tibet with a group of mostly Ukrainian pilgrims. She was returning home with her partner, Oles Visich, when the disaster struck on August 26.

Visich said Kalynychenko had bought chrysanthemum tea in China and planned to share it with him when she returned home. Her last known location was recorded at a Chinese border crossing shortly before the flood struck.

More Than 6,000 People Still Missing

The August floods and mudslides killed more than 1,400 people and left more than 6,000 missing, according to authorities cited by The Associated Press. Nepal has reported that 636 foreign nationals remain missing, including 54 Ukrainians.

The disaster destroyed roads, communities and parts of the border infrastructure connecting Nepal and China. The scale of the destruction has made it difficult for authorities to determine what happened to people who were traveling through the region.

Families Say Information Is Limited

Relatives of the missing Ukrainians say they have struggled to obtain clear information. Some families have been told that their relatives had already left Chinese territory before the flood, but they have been unable to confirm whether those people successfully entered Nepal.

One of the missing travelers was Stanislav Solohub’s brother and sister-in-law. Solohub said families have largely had to rely on official statistics posted online while waiting for direct information about their relatives.

DNA Identification Continues

Nepal has recovered 1,451 bodies, but only a fraction have been formally identified and returned to relatives. Authorities have collected DNA samples from more than 2,000 relatives to assist with the identification process.

The identification effort is expected to take considerable time because many victims were swept away by mud and floodwater, while official records and infrastructure in the affected areas were also damaged.

Families Continue to Wait

For families such as Visich’s, the lack of confirmed information has left them caught between hope and uncertainty. Weeks after the disaster, relatives are still trying to determine whether their loved ones were among those killed, survived elsewhere or remain unaccounted for.

Authorities in Nepal and China continue efforts to locate missing people and identify recovered victims as families await definitive answers.

Sources: Associated Press; ClickOnDetroit/AP; Nepalese authorities