A Liverpool-based family says it “cannot accept” what is happening after their cousin was named among those missing following devastating floods in Nepal. Sarada Simkhada, a mum-of-two and senior nurse at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, is one of 33 Brits currently missing.
Her relatives, husband Gopal Adhikari and wife Mina Simkhada, originally from Ganesh Himal, a sub-range of the Himalayas in north-central Nepal, but now living on Edge Lane, said it is “incredibly difficult” to turn on the TV or any form of social media at the moment because of what is being widely reported. The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Nepal and China has passed 1,000, with rescue efforts ongoing.
‘She said she would see her again in a few weeks’
Dad Gopal, who owns Burscough restaurants Baja Mexican and Gurkha Village, told the ECHO: “Sarada had travelled to Nepal with a group of people from Nepal and was heading towards Tibet when she went missing.
“It is incredibly difficult. I still cannot accept what has happened. She had called my wife from the airport on Saturday evening to say that she was travelling to Nepal and she said she would see her again in a few weeks. Then, a few days later, we heard she was missing. We simply could not believe it.
“She has two young daughters, who are 18 and 22, and her husband is an engineer. They are a beautiful family. They have now gone to Nepal, but we still have not been able to find her.”
Village bridge destroyed
The Kent nurse flew out from London on Saturday, August 22, to undertake a Hindu pilgrimage to Mount Kailash - like many of the missing. Sarada originally moved to the UK more than 20 years ago.
Gopal said many of his childhood friends are also missing. The 45-year-old added: “Living in Liverpool and watching the news has been heartbreaking. We are seeing the devastation through the news, Facebook and TikTok, as well as hearing from people in our community.
“The flooding has been catastrophic, with huge volumes of water sweeping through villages along the border areas, from Tibet towards India. My village is in the Dhading district. The main bridge leading towards my village has been destroyed, which means people from the area cannot travel to Kathmandu or return to their villages. The lack of access is making an already terrible situation even worse.
“It is difficult to describe how we feel. This is not just about my friends and family. Thousands of people have been affected. We are hearing that thousands are missing and that many people have been found, but it is difficult to know the true numbers because records are incomplete.
“The scale of the disaster is enormous, and the impact on Nepal has been devastating. It is incredibly sad.”
Charity night at Gurkha Village
In light of the news, Gopal, alongside his family, are hosting a charity fundraising night at the restaurant. On Friday, September 4, an evening of Nepalese food, kindness and “community spirit” is taking place with all proceeds going to support relief efforts.
The event is being held at Gurkha Village at Burscough Wharf, with those wanting to attend asked to call in advance at 0151 458 1100. Gopal added: “All of this is why I decided to organise a charity night to help those affected. Every penny of profit from the event will be donated directly to the Nepal’s Disaster Relief Fund.
“I know it may only be a small contribution, but if everyone gives something, hopefully it can help people who have lost their homes and are struggling to access food and other essentials.”
