SOUTH RIDING, Va. (Diya TV) — Residents, elected officials and religious leaders gathered at South Riding Town Green in Loudoun County for an interfaith candlelight vigil honoring victims of the Nepal floods and those who remain missing.
Some attendees carried photographs of missing relatives and friends as representatives of several faiths offered prayers and participants observed moments of silence.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., said several people reported missing have ties to Virginia, including residents of Loudoun County. He told IANS that he personally knew some of them.
Subramanyam said his office has been in regular contact with the State Department regarding the search for missing U.S. citizens and residents.
“Our team is talking to them virtually every day,” Subramanyam said.
A local community representative said seven Loudoun County residents remained missing at the time of the vigil. Families and community members have also been holding nightly calls to exchange information, according to IANS.
The United States has provided humanitarian and disaster-response assistance to Nepal following the Aug. 26 floods. Two U.S. military cargo aircraft delivered thousands of disaster-recovery supplies, first-aid kits, stretchers and heavy equipment earlier this month to support Nepal-led search and recovery operations.
U.S. officials have also been working with families on DNA collection to assist with the identification of recovered remains, Subramanyam said. Families of missing people from several countries have provided DNA samples as identification efforts continue.
Subramanyam joined Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna and other lawmakers last week in urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to provide additional resources for search-and-rescue operations and assistance to Americans affected by the disaster.
