- The couple had flown to Kathmandu on Aug 23 for their Kailash Yatra pilgrimage and were staying at Hotel Kailash in Timure. They were last seen at a tea stall in the Rasuwagadhi border area in Nepal.
- The Singaporeans are among the nearly 3,000 people missing after a catastrophic flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday morning. Nepali authorities have released names of 668 tourists reported missing as of Thursday, 2.15pm.
- The family of missing Singaporeans Ms Shubakshi Rawla, 49, and Mr Sumit Rawla, 53, is desperate for information, with their daughters Ms Kenisha Rawla, 15, and Ms Parnika Rawla, 20, saying they have struggled to get updates.
- Besides the Rawlas, other missing Singaporeans include Estee Loeh, Ghosh Aditi, Ng Kit Kuen, Rajesvaran Ayyavoo, Rengarajan Prabu, Shalinny Deavy Elan Sozan and Subramaniam Diraviam. Most were travelling with Trekkers Society, Leaf Holiday or Himalayan Glacier.
- Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday it was in touch with families, and the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi and Singapore Embassy in Beijing are working with Nepali and Chinese authorities.
- In a Zoom briefing, Himalayan Glacier president Sagar Pandey said 47 of 54 people in the group were unaccounted for – 36 had been in hotels in Kailash and 11 were on their way to the border. The group's hotel is no longer standing, and seven staff are missing.
- Mr Pandey explained that the flash flood was so powerful and speedy that people could not escape to higher ground, and from the hotel the flood would only have become visible when it was 1.5km away.
- The couple's family has appealed for more rescue resources, with Ms Dipti Bhatnagar, Ms Shubakshi's sister, requesting the government to deploy people and use location-sharing technology to aid rescue teams.
Family members of the missing Singaporeans, Shubakshi and Sumit Rawla, are in distress as they await news from rescuers searching for nearly 3,000 people after a devastating flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border.23
The couple was last seen at a tea stall in the Rasuwagadhi border area after arriving in Kathmandu for a pilgrimage on August 23. Their daughters, Kenisha and Parnika, expressed their frustration, stating, “Nobody's telling us anything. We don't know what's going on.”1
The Rawlas were among 668 tourists reported missing, with the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinating with local authorities. “We really, really need the government to deploy people for rescue efforts,” Parnika urged, highlighting the need for better resources.6
Nepali authorities reported that 47 of 54 people in the Rawlas' tour group are unaccounted for, with the hotel they were staying in no longer standing. “The flood came almost 150 metres above the ground,” said Mr Pandey, a local guide, explaining the rapidity of the disaster.7
As the search continues, the family remains hopeful yet anxious, pleading for any information about their loved ones.
“The Rawlas were last seen at a tea stall in the Rasuwagadhi border area, and their daughters last spoke to them via FaceTime at 6.40am on Wednesday. Nepali authorities have released names of 668 tourists reported missing, with nearly 3,000 people unaccounted for overall.”
