The Agony of the Unknown: Families Wait for News of Missing Canadians in Nepal
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
As death tolls rise following flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, relatives of the missing describe a desperate struggle for information.
For the family of Dhaval Shah, the silence following flash floods in Nepal is a source of profound distress. As CityNews Toronto first reported, Dhaval Shah and his wife, Megha Shah, residents of Port Moody, B.C., were visiting Nepal on a spiritual journey when the disasters struck. Speaking from Mumbai, India, Dhaval's brother, Kheval Shah, told CityNews Toronto that the family is desperate for any news regarding the couple's fate.
Kheval Shah noted that the family is "on edge" and hoping for a miracle. The last contact with the couple occurred in stages: Kheval last heard from his brother on Monday, while a cousin spoke with the couple on Tuesday. Shah believes the pair were waiting for immigration offices to open at the Tibet border to exit Nepal when the floods hit.
According to CityNews Toronto, the scale of the disaster is immense. Data provided by Nepal's disaster agency and Chinese authorities indicates a combined toll of 676 dead and nearly 3,000 people missing across Nepal and Tibet. Specifically, Nepal's disaster agency reported 669 deaths and 2,426 missing, while Chinese authorities reported seven deaths and over 550 missing. Many of those missing are believed to have been pilgrims traveling to Mount Kailash in Tibet.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand stated on Saturday that one of the 32 missing Canadians and permanent residents in the region has been located safely. Minister Anand noted that Chinese authorities now describe the risk of secondary flooding as "controllable" and that telecommunications in affected areas of Nepal are being restored.
The Nepal Tourism Board reported on Friday that 121 foreign nationals have been rescued, and as of Saturday, more than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal. Additionally, Canada has committed $5 million in urgent humanitarian aid to be distributed through organizations such as the Red Cross.