A British man whose wife, mother, brother and uncle are missing after the catastrophic floods in Nepal has flown to the disaster zone to search for his family. Pramod Poudel, 34, last spoke to his newlywed wife Sumitra, 25, hours before the floods hit, and her final words to him were: "I love you so much."
Last contact before the floods
Pramod, a British citizen who lives in Uckfield, East Sussex, said he spoke to his wife at 4.15pm UK time last Wednesday, but the call cut out and he could not reach her again. He then called his aunt, who told him the horror floods had struck. The floods are believed to have been caused by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, which sent rock, ice and meltwater into valleys below.
The couple married in June, and Sumitra had moved to the Nepalese village of Sole to live with Pramod's family while he returned to the UK for work. Pramod, who was born and raised in Sole and moved to the UK at 18, said his wife, mother, brother and uncle are all missing after the floods battered the village.
Heartbreaking words
Recalling his last call with his wife, Pramod told The Sun: "When I last spoke to her, she said to me, 'How are you? I love you so much.' I have not had contact with her since then. It's devastating, I don't even know how to explain how I'm feeling right now. I'm so worried about her, and all my family. I work so hard for them and they are my whole world. I'm very hopeful of finding them but I'm also praying to God."
He flew out to Nepal on Friday and began his trek to his village after the floods destroyed a bridge that led to Sole. Before flying, he told the BBC: "It's a very, very difficult time for me and for my family and my country at this moment, but obviously I have to go and see what's happening there."
Missing numbers rise
Nepal's Foreign Ministry said 590 foreign nationals from 39 countries remain missing after the August 26 disaster, which killed at least 1,118 people and left more than 3,900 missing. Thirty-six Brits are thought to be missing in Nepal, with another 15 reported by Chinese authorities in neighbouring Tibet, bringing the total to 48.
Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office Lord Wood of Anfield told the House of Lords on Tuesday that the number of British people missing due to the floods had risen to 36, up from 33. Some tourists previously reported missing have made contact with authorities, officials said. Five Australians were confirmed safe overnight, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the number of Australians missing had fallen from 43 to 38. Sunil Sharma, a spokesman for the Nepal Tourism Board, said at least five tourists who had been reported missing had contacted authorities by email or telephone in recent days.
