- The missing family members include Ishan Patel and his wife Akanksha Patel, both dual Canadian-U.S. citizens, along with his mother Shilpa Patel and father-in-law Umesh Patel, who are Canadian. They were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash before Ishan was to start a new job as an orthopedic surgeon.
- A deadly flash flood occurred in Nepal, leading to the family's disappearance.
- Patel urged for extensive searching in the right area as they approach a week with no news.
- Hope is fading with each passing day, emphasizing that time is of the essence.
Canadian families are grappling with uncertainty a week after a catastrophic flash flood in Nepal, which has left over 4,400 people missing.
Neeral Patel, whose cousin Ishan and three family members are unaccounted for, is calling for a more extensive international search effort.
“We want to give a lot of hope. But with each passing day, it’s just getting chipped away,” said Patel, who lives in Toronto.
Ishan Patel, along with his wife Akanksha, mother Shilpa, and father-in-law Umesh, were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash when disaster struck.
The flood, triggered by a glacier collapse on August 26, has overwhelmed rescue operations, with landslides and destroyed roads complicating access to remote areas.
“This is why we’re urging everyone to please, in the right area, search as much as you can,” Patel implored, as family members continue to search online and in hospitals for any news.
The Canadian government has deployed 10 officials to assist in locating the missing, but Patel insists on a “global effort” to bring families home.
“There should be a global effort, everyone work together to try to bring our family members home,” she added.
As the situation remains dire, families are left to navigate the emotional toll of waiting for answers amidst a humanitarian crisis.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has confirmed that 30 Canadians and permanent residents are among the missing.
“The missing include Ishan Patel and his wife Akanksha, both dual Canadian-U.S. citizens, along with his mother and father-in-law, who were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash before Ishan was to start a new job as an orthopedic surgeon. Patel, from Toronto, said, "We want to give a lot of hope. But with each passing day, it's just getting chipped away, and time is of the essence."”
The Globe and Mail
