An anxious wait continues for several families in Gujarat and abroad after 23 people with roots in Gujarat were reported missing in Nepal following devastating flash floods that damaged roads and disrupted communication in the mountainous region.
Among those missing are 18 NRIs, including citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Many were travelling towards Kailash Mansarovar through the Kerung route.
For families waiting thousands of kilometres away, the uncertainty has become unbearable. Several of those listed as missing had spoken to their relatives shortly before losing contact.
82-year-old mother waits for her children
In Surat, 82-year-old Sushilaben Patel is desperately waiting for news of her son, daughter and daughter-in-law.
Her son Paresh Patel, 58, his wife Jyoti Patel, 54, and daughter Meenaxi Ramani, 61, are among those missing.
Sushilaben lives alone in Surat. Holding photographs of her family, she has been praying for their safe return since August 26, when Meenaxi last called her.
Meenaxi told her that they had cleared immigration for their Kailash Mansarovar journey and that they would soon enter an area without mobile connectivity.
Sushilaben had no idea that it would be their last conversation.
Last call came on August 26
According to Sushilaben, Paresh and Jyoti arrived in India on August 20 and booked a tour to Mansarovar.
They travelled from Mumbai to Nepal on August 22. Meenaxi joined them on August 24.
On the morning of August 26, Meenaxi called her mother.
“She told me that they had cleared immigration to go to Mansarovar and that mobile network would not be available from there,” Sushilaben said.
Meenaxi also told her that Paresh and Jyoti were with her and that they were travelling as part of a group.
The following day, Sushilaben saw videos of the floods in Nepal.
She tried repeatedly to contact her family but could not get through because of communication problems.
Paresh’s son, Rushabh, who is studying in college in the US, also called his grandmother asking about his parents.
Sushilaben could only tell him to pray for their safety.
“We are praying for their safe return,” she said.
Family spread across India and US
Paresh has been settled in Florida, US, for around 15 years, where he works for a software company. His wife Jyoti travelled with him to India before the Nepal trip. Their son Rushabh is currently in college.
Sushilaben’s eldest daughter, Meenaxi, lives in Mumbai. She also has another daughter settled in Ahmedabad and one in California.
A relative, Ankur Patel, 25, said Paresh’s family had deep connections with Gujarat.
He said Paresh’s father, Natvarlal, had moved from Mumbai to Surat in 2006 and settled in the Adajan area. Natvarlal died after an illness three years ago.
Paresh and Jyoti had returned to India last year and spent around two weeks with the family.
23 people from Gujarat are on the missing list
A list prepared by the State Emergency Operation Centre on Friday showed that 23 people with Gujarat connections were missing. Of these, 18 are NRIs.
The missing NRI group includes:
11 US citizens: Bimalkumar Patel and Jaimina Patel from Anand; Paresh Natvarlal Patel and Jyoti Paresh Patel from Surat; Dinesh Patel from Amreli; Ishan Patel and Shilpa Patel from Kheda; Amita Amin, Tejal Patel and Jitendra Patel from Gandhinagar; and Bina Parikh from Ahmedabad.
Four Canadian citizens of Indian origin: Umesh Patel and Akansha Patel from Kheda, and Jagdish Patel and Padma Patel from Anand.
One Australian citizen: Bhavinkumar Raval, who has roots in Gandhinagar.
Two New Zealand citizens of Indian origin: Kinnari Patel and Mihir Patel.
The remaining five are Indian nationals:
Ashok Dhirajlal Kapadi — Ahmedabad
Jay Dinesh Kotecha — Rajkot
Roma Dilip Intwala — Valsad
Minaxi Sanjay Ramani — Surat
Kamtaprasad Babulal Chauhan — Amreli
Many were travelling towards the China border
Families said most of the missing people were travelling along the northern Nepal route towards the China border.
However, the official list does not provide a specific location for every missing person.
Ashok Dhirajlal Kapadi last spoke to his family at around 8:30 am on August 26, saying he was about to reach the immigration centre near the China border.
Family members said cousins Jay Kotecha and Roma Intwala were near the Sino-Nepal Friendship Bridge.
Amita Amin, Tejal Patel and Jitendra Patel were also reportedly near the Friendship Bridge.
Poonam Thakkar was last known to be at Hotel Kailash in Taimure, near the Rasuwagadhi border.
Kinnari Patel, Mihir Patel and Bhavinkumar Raval were travelling towards Mansarovar through the Kerung-Kyirong route.
For Paresh Patel, Jyoti Patel and Minaxi Sanjay Ramani, the list records a Kailash Mansarovar itinerary and loss of contact but does not mention their exact location.
More families wait for answers
The list also records Dinesh Patel, Umesh Patel, Akansha Patel, Ishan Patel, Shilpa Patel, Padma Patel and Jagdish Patel as having travelled to Nepal or being on the Kailash Mansarovar route.
Kamtaprasad Chauhan was travelling with a group that was scheduled to proceed from Ayodhya to Nepal. His last communication with his family was on August 11.
Another family waiting anxiously is that of US-based couple Bimalkumar Patel, 47, and Jaiminaben Patel, 43, who travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The couple arrived in India on July 28 and travelled to Nepal on August 16.
According to their family, they had completed local sightseeing in Nepal and were heading towards the immigration office to obtain visas for their Kailash Mansarovar journey. They had an 8:30 am appointment, after which the family could no longer contact them.
Their 12-year-old son, who had travelled to India with them, remained in Anand and did not accompany his parents on the Nepal trip. He is now among the family members waiting for information about them.
Helplines issued for affected families
With families continuing to search for information, the Gujarat government has issued helpline numbers for affected citizens and their relatives. Families in Gujarat can contact:
079232-51900
9978405304
1070
They can also contact their respective District Emergency Operation Centre at 1077. For Indian citizens affected in Nepal, the emergency numbers are:
+977 985 131 6807
+977 970 910 7500
For families like Sushilaben’s, every unanswered call has brought fresh anxiety. As communication remains disrupted along parts of the mountainous route, they continue to wait for one message that could finally tell them where their loved ones are and whether they are safe.
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