
Two Israelis, 30 Jewish Tourists Missing Devastating Nepal Floods
A second Israeli has been confirmed missing in the Nepal floods that struck the country’s border with China on Aug. 26, killing 1,273 people (1,252 in Nepal, 21 in Tibet), with more than 4,000 still missing.
Katerina (Katya) Sakovich, 41, also holds Belarusian citizenship and was at first listed as a Belarusian citizen until her family contacted the Israel Foreign Ministry for help in locating her. She had moved to Milan several years ago and had gone on a trip to Mount Kailash in Tibet. According to the Israel-based broadcaster KAN News, she was last seen at the Rasuwagadhi-Gyirong border crossing around the time the floods began.

“Israel’s consul in Kathmandu and the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Israelis in Distress Abroad are in continuous contact with her family and are working with the authorities and local officials in efforts to locate her,” the ministry said.
A 60-year-old Israeli man who has not been named is also missing. According to Chabad of Nepal, 30 Jewish tourists are also missing. About 600 foreign workers and tourists from nearly 40 countries are also among the missing.
“We are in contact with the families, local communities and officials on the ground, trying to piece together every detail,” said Chani Lifshitz, co-director of Chabad of Nepal. “We are checking every report, every name, every location, and every possible lead.”
“In the situation we are facing, even something as basic and sacred as a Jewish burial is no longer possible,” she added. “The bodies being recovered after days beneath the mud are in the worst possible condition, making identification extremely difficult.”