- Ishan Patel was in Nepal with his family on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash before starting a new job as an orthopedic surgeon.
- On Aug. 26, a glacier collapse triggered a flash flood in the Himalayan border region, resulting in over 1,100 deaths and leaving approximately 4,400 missing.
- Ishan Patel's phone pinged near Hotel Kailash, where the family had breakfast on the day of the flood.
- Family members have been scouring the internet and have traveled to Kathmandu, but roads to the flood-hit area are closed.
- The Canadian government has sent 10 officials to Nepal to assist in locating the missing Canadians.
- Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed that 30 Canadians and permanent residents are among the missing individuals.
- One week after the disaster, families are still without news, and hope is 'getting chipped away.'
A week after a catastrophic flood in Nepal that claimed over 1,100 lives, families of the missing, including 30 Canadians, are grappling with uncertainty.7
Neeral Patel, whose cousin Ishan Patel is among the missing, expressed the family's anguish, stating, “This is why we’re urging everyone to please, in the right area, search as much as you can, because we’re coming up to a week’s time and still no news.”1
The flood, triggered by a glacier collapse on August 26, has left approximately 4,400 individuals unaccounted for. In Kathmandu, authorities are overwhelmed, burying unidentified bodies in trenches due to the sheer volume.245
“There should be a global effort, everyone work together to try to bring our family members home,” Patel urged, highlighting the desperate need for coordinated rescue efforts.
The Canadian government has dispatched 10 officials to Nepal to assist in locating the missing and provide support to affected families.6
As relatives scour the internet and local police sites for updates, the situation remains dire, with roads to the flood-hit areas still closed, complicating search efforts.
“With so many still unaccounted for,” Patel noted, “family members have been left scouring the internet, looking on Nepal police sites and missing identity sites to see if the names of any relatives come up.”
“The Patel family knows where to search because Ishan's phone pinged near Hotel Kailash, but roads to the flood-hit area are closed. Ottawa has sent 10 officials to Nepal, yet families are urging a global effort to bring loved ones home.”
CP24
