Families of 33 Britons missing after the Nepal flash floods are pleading for information about their loved ones as the death toll rose to 567. Among those missing is a family from Surrey: A-level student Spandan Sahu, 18, his father Santosh Sahu, 46, chief executive of UK pharmaceutical technology company Charac, his mother Surabhi Manmath Padhy, 44, and sister Syna Kumari Sahu, 13.
Surabhi, who used to run a technology company in London with her husband, is a former Mrs India UK contestant, having placed as second runner-up in 2018. The family were avid travellers, with Surabhi posting that she had visited 35 countries on her Instagram page.
Family trip to Mount Kailash
The Sahu family had been on a trip to Mount Kailash, a religious site for Hindus and Buddhists in Tibet, and had travelled to India before heading on a Nepalese-Tibetan trek as part of an Alpine Eco Tours trip. They posted a photograph of them with their group – mostly Britons – showing them happy and laughing by their bus amid the Himalayan peaks. The group was last heard from as they crossed from Nepal into Tibet. Spandan had just finished his A-levels at Royal Grammar School, Guildford, and was preparing to study philosophy, politics and economics at university.
A spokesperson for the school said: “It is with great concern that we have been informed that a former student, along with members of his family, have been reported missing in Nepal. Whilst we are hoping for positive news, we do not have any further information at this time. Our thoughts, love and deepest sympathies are with all of the families and loved ones of anyone affected by this tragedy in Nepal at this incredibly difficult time.”
Glacial collapse and devastation
Whole villages were swept away after a glacial collapse sent a 600ft surging wall of mud, rock and ice along the Himalayan border between Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday morning. The Chinese military said the floodwaters travelled at 50 metres a second, leaving mud 1.5 metres deep. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said nearly 2,000 people were now missing, with the figure standing at 1,924. Among the dead and missing are hundreds of foreign tourists visiting the mountainous region, popular with trekkers and pilgrims.
Nepal and China have issued warnings about the risk of a second wave of flooding. A lake formed by debris blocking a river at the flood site was rising and at risk of bursting. Efforts to locate the missing have been complicated by the destruction of dozens of bridges and almost 25 miles of roads.
Other missing Britons
A former grammar school pupil and her mother who went on a pilgrimage to Nepal have also been confirmed as missing. Nelly Chhetri, 18, and her mother Yashika Basnet, 56, an NHS worker, had gone on the trip as part of a tour group and have not been heard from since. Nelly was an 'ambitious' former pupil of the Invicta Grammar School for girls, in Maidstone, Kent, and hopes to go to university next year, her cousin Nickie Chhetri said.
Nickie added: “Nelly is so caring, she loves everyone around her. She enjoys listening to music and spending lots of time with close friends. Her mother is caring too, and very hardworking. All we can do now is wait for updates.”
Deepesh Patel said his parents Bipin Patel, 66, and Mala Patel, 60, from Coventry, were missing after flying to Nepal on August 22 to make a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. He said the family last heard from the couple, who run a tutoring business, on Tuesday, and their last known location was in the Gyirong area of the Nepal-China border. His brother Anant Patel said: “I think from our perspective, we’re not just shocked that our parents appear to be missing, but also... the ongoing lack of certainty is causing further distress.”
A number of those missing had been making the pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. Nepalese tour operator Leaf Holidays said four UK residents were on their pilgrimage tour crossing the border in the Rasuwagadhi-Kerun area on Tuesday. Married couples Tara and Babar Gurung, and Thaneswar and Tejkumari Gurung, were among 55 people from the tour now missing, the operator said. The Trekkers’ Society said nine British nationals on one of its tours were among those unaccounted for – four males aged 14, 50, 50, and 54, and five women aged 40, 46, 50, 50, and 53.
General manager Roshan Basnet said: “When the flood happened, they were still at the Chinese immigration at the border. We have yet to get the confirmation of what state they’re in, but as for the video that is circulating on the internet, we believe that it’s a pretty difficult situation.”
Tour operator Alpine Eco Trek said a 13-year-old girl was among the missing British nationals, as well as two Irish citizens. Among the missing British nationals are three men aged 65, 64 and 52, and seven women aged 44, 47, 51, 60, 63, 63, and 65, according to travel logs obtained by PA. Kumar Adhikari, manager of Alpine Eco Trek, said the tour group, on a nine-day tour to Mount Kailash, were crossing into Tibet from Nepal when they became trapped at the border as the flash floods struck. He said he was in contact with his tour guides until 8.40am, when their phones went offline, at which point the group would have been inside Tibet's immigration office. “We were hoping that inside it was safe. But later the video came from China's government which (showed) even Tibet's side was hit by the flood,” he said. The manager said he was fielding “thousands” of missed calls from families in the UK.
Tour operator Kailash Journeys said it had not been able to account for seven UK nationals – five women and two men aged between 18 and 55, travelling with the company. Among those missing with links to the UK is Sarada Simkhada, a senior nurse at Darent Valley Hospital in Kent, who was in Nepal making a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. Her brother Shambhu wrote on social media: “My dear sister, wherever you are, please stay strong. We are praying for your safety every moment and waiting desperately for you to return home.”
Leena Bector, a director of a care agency from Slough, west London, is among 27 travellers associated with the Fishtail Tours and Travels group currently unaccounted for. Her husband, Bhupesh Bector, said: “I know that she's in Nepal for sure... so even if they find her today or tomorrow, I need to be there.” Hema Amin, from Croydon, south London, started a pilgrimage to Gosainkunda lake on Monday that was supposed to last until September 4. Her husband, Sunil Amin, said: “I keep trying to call her. I've been trying, trying, trying.”
Nabhi Nandan Das, a Hindu priest from south London, was leading a group on a tour to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar. The 64-year-old priest, who lives in Streatham and works at the Sanatan Mandir and Community Centre in Coulsdon, Surrey, was leading 11 Britons, including the missing 13-year-old girl, on the tour.
Also missing is Sumitra Poudel. Her 24-year-old British businessman husband flew to Nepal on Thursday to search for her as well as his mother, uncle and brother. Pramod Poudel, who runs a Nepalese street food company in Sussex, said: “The flood came and took everyone, including the house. I haven't heard from them because there's no power or anything. I am very sad.”
The brother of Neetu Goyal Tiwari, one of the missing Brits who has not been seen since Wednesday, has appealed to officials to locate his sister. Naresh Goyal said: “Please help us find her. We have called every helpline given by the Indian government and reached out to the British Embassy in Kathmandu as well. Please help us find her. We are all very scared.”
Essex nurse Rajendra Pudasaini said his relatives were “swept away” by the floods. He said: “My wife's auntie and uncle, and their granddaughter and her husband are missing, and my godson as well. They're gone. The speed the water came, they couldn't be saved, they were just swept away.”
Vikram Kolagatla, from London, has not heard from his wife, Geetha Reddy, since the flooding hit. Reddy, who has two daughters aged 12 and 14, had been in Hotel Kailash in Rasuwagadh. He said: “We're not sure what to do. I have two little girls, and their schools are starting next week. The kids still don't believe it. They think she's stuck in the flood and that she'll come back. They think she's stuck somewhere and there's no mobile network.”
British psychiatrist Pravin Atmakur, 54, is also missing. He was leading a group of 77 pilgrims in Tibet when the floods hit. His wife, Manjula Atmakur, has travelled to Nepal to help look for him.
Earlier this week PM Andy Burnham said the UK has offered £5m to help the Nepalese government following the floods, saying it was a “very distressing and devastating situation”. King Charles said he and the Queen were “heartbroken” and sent their “most profound sympathy” to those affected.
