Nurse among 33 Britons missing in Nepal’s devastating flash floods

Nurse among 33 Britons missing in Nepal’s devastating flash floods The catastrophic floods have killed more than 380 people and left hundreds more missing - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments A nurse from Kent has been identified among the Britons missing in Nepal after the devastating flash floods in the country. Sarada Simkhada, a senior nurse at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, is one of the the 33 Brits missing, a local councillor said, as rescue efforts continued after flooding in the Rasuwa district, which borders China’s autonomous region of Tibet. The catastrophic floods have killed more than 380 people and left hundreds more missing. Another Briton from Slough, is also said to be unaccounted for. Fishtail Tours and Travels said Leena Bector was among 27 travellers associated with the tour group currently missing. Her husband, Bhupesh Bector, told The Times: “I know that she’s in Nepal for sure … so even if they find her today or tomorrow, I need to be there.” Meanwhile, an Essex nurse said his relatives were “swept away” by the devastating flash floods, as he launched a fundraiser to support those affected by the disaster. Rajendra Pudasaini, president of the Non-Resident Nepali Association UK, said Nepal was witnessing an “irreplaceable loss”, adding that the country was “paying the price for global warming”. Mr Pudasaini has now launched an appeal to raise funds for families affected by the devastation. More than £8,500 has been raised so far towards a goal of £50,000. The nurse, who works at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, said: “My wife’s auntie and uncle, and their granddaughter and her husband are missing, and my godson as well. “They’re gone. The speed the water came, they couldn’t be saved, they were just swept away. “The town and the villages were swept away, it’s a tragic thing.” Mr Pudasaini said his mother was rescued by the army along with her two-and-a-half-month-old great-grandchild. Speaking on Thursday evening, he said: “My mother was trapped in the hospital. “She went to the hospital in the morning just a few minutes before the flood came in the river. “She just crossed past, and luckily she survived, and she was taken to safety today about a couple of hours ago.” The nurse said he had “lost contact with the families” because of the damage done to electricity supplies and internet connections in Nepal. Mr Pudasaini’s son Suraj, from Essex, said his grandmother, great-uncle and great-aunt are missing, saying: “We just keep on calling them to see whether they pick up.” Mr Pudasaini added: “We are basically trying to help them to rehabilitate, giving them basic needs, foods, clothes.” He said that the association he leads has a meeting with Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on Friday morning. Mr Pudasaini said: “We hope to be looked after well because of our connection and our service in the military in British armies and things like that. “We have a very good relationship with the UK – 200-years-plus relationship in terms of diplomatic relations.” A Sussex man has said he has not heard from his wife, mother, father, brother, and uncle in Nepal since the country was hit by the flash flood. Speaking to the BBC, Pramod Poudel from Uckfield, said he believes “90 per cent” of the village his family live in has been swept away, and that he fears the worst for them. “I have my dad, my mum, my brother, my uncle, and my wife who live there, and I haven’t heard from them for a while,” he told BBC Radio Sussex. “I don’t know what to expect.” Hema Amin, from Croydon, south London, who started a pilgrimage to Gosainkunda lake on Monday that was supposed to last until September 4. Her husband, Sunil Amin, told Sky News: “I keep trying to call her. I’ve been trying, trying, trying.” Two teenagers, a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, are among the British nationals believed to be unaccounted for. A number of those missing had been making a pilgrimage to the sacred Hindu site of Mount Kailash, Nepalese tour operator The Trekkers’ Society said. The operator said nine British nationals on one of its tours to the site were among those unaccounted for – four males, aged 14, 50, 50, and 54, and five females, aged 40, 46, 50, 50, and 53. General manager Roshan Basnet said: “When the flood happened, they were still at the Chinese immigration (at) the border. “After the flood happened, we had no contact with our tour guide.” He added: “We have yet to get the confirmation of what state they’re in, but as for the video that is circulating on the internet, we believe that it’s a pretty difficult (situation).” Tour operator Alpine Eco Trek said a 13-year-old girl was among the missing British nationals, as well as two Irish citizens. Among the missing British nationals are three men aged 65, 64, and 52, and seven women aged 44, 47, 51, 60, 63, 63, and 65, according to travel logs obtained by PA. Kumar Adhikari, the manager of Alpine Eco Trek, said the tour group, who were on a nine-day tour to Mount Kailash, were crossing into Tibet from Nepal when they became trapped at the border as the flash floods struck. He said he was in contact with his tour guides until 8.40am when their phones went offline, at which point the group would have been inside Tibet’s immigration office. “We were hoping that inside it was safe,” he said. “But later the video came from China’s government which (showed) even Tibet’s side was hit by the flood.” Tour operator Kailash Journeys confirmed it had not been able to account for seven UK nationals, five women and two men aged between 18 and 55, travelling with the company. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments