Many pilgrims travel to Mount Kailash, a sacred peak on the Nepal-Tibet border, for a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey. Amita Amin, 67, from New York, was on her seventh trip and second this year, seeking proximity to the divine. Her group was at the border on Wednesday when a flash flood, triggered by glacial runoff, ripped through the region an hour after their last contact.

The party, including three Nepalese guides, has not been heard from since. Tens of thousands visit the area annually from May to September. Mount Kailash, standing at 21,778 feet, is revered by Hindus as the home of Shiva and Parvati.

Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs also consider it a holy site. Hindus believe attempting to summit is banned because the mountain is so holy. Dhruv Amin, Ms. Amin's son, described the journey as feeling "as if God was watching us." For Tibetan Buddhists, it is a place to purify oneself.

Across all faiths, the site represents a significant multi-faith landscape with deep spiritual potency, drawing adventurers and devotees alike to its rugged terrain and pristine beauty.