S’pore families desperate for news as 3 Singaporeans remain missing after deadly Nepal floods

Several Singaporeans remain unaccounted for after devastating flash floods and mudslides struck Nepal’s northern border region, leaving families anxiously waiting for news of their loved ones.

Among those missing are a Singaporean couple who were travelling as part of an international tour group when the disaster hit on Aug. 26.

The floods and mudslides have caused widespread destruction in the region, with Nepal’s reported death toll reaching at least 469 people and around 900 others still unaccounted for, according to BBC reporting cited by the source.

Singaporean couple last contacted family before disaster

The missing couple have been identified as 53-year-old Sumit Rawla and his 49-year-old wife, Shubakshi Rawla.

They were travelling with a tour group operated by Himalayan Glacier. The group consisted of 15 Australians, 10 Canadians, nine Nepalese, eight Americans, two Britons, the two Singaporeans and one Russian-American dual citizen.

Shubakshi’s sister, 45-year-old Dipti Bhatnagar, told Shin Min Daily News that the couple had been married for 25 years and have two daughters, aged 20 and 16. The family lives in Canada.

Dipti said she last spoke to her sister through a video call at around 7am on Aug. 26.

At the time, Shubakshi was staying at a hotel in Timure, a border town in northern Nepal close to the border with Tibet, China. She even showed her sister around the hotel during their call.

Daughters make emotional appeal for information

According to Dipti, the family lost contact with Shubakshi about an hour after their video call ended.

Shubakshi had told her sister that she and her husband were preparing to cross the border into Tibet. After the disaster struck, Dipti travelled with her two nieces to India, where they have been waiting for information about their parents.

The couple’s daughters later posted an appeal on Instagram, saying they had been unable to contact their parents for nearly 48 hours and were becoming increasingly worried.

One daughter said the family was confused because they wanted information but were not receiving enough details about what had happened. The sisters also appealed for local authorities and telecommunications companies to help provide location data from their parents’ smart watches, which they believe could assist rescue teams in locating them.

They ended their appeal with a simple request: they desperately wanted to see their parents again.

Another Singaporean missing after pilgrimage trip

Another Singaporean, 40-year-old Shalinny Deavy, was also reported missing after travelling to Nepal for a pilgrimage.

Her husband, 43-year-old Selvaganesh, told Shin Min that the trip was her first pilgrimage to Nepal. He last received a message from her at around 9.15am on Aug. 26.

Shalinny told him she was about to clear immigration at the Nepal-China border and would contact him again once she was able to. The couple have been married for 10 years and have a seven-year-old daughter.

Selvaganesh said he later had to tell their young daughter that her mother was missing.

He recalled that his daughter said she missed her mother and wanted her to call in the evening so they could speak. He said he did not know what else to tell her while the family waited for news.

66-year-old Singaporean also unaccounted for

A 66-year-old Singaporean, S. Maniam, is also missing after travelling with the same pilgrimage group as Shalinny.

His younger brother told Shin Min that Maniam was the eldest of five siblings and had previously participated in pilgrimage groups.

The family last heard from him at around 8am on Aug. 26. Maniam reportedly said he was approaching an area without communication signals and expected to reach the Chinese border at around 1pm. Contact was subsequently lost.

Maniam is married and has three grown-up children.

His family contacted Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and has been waiting for further updates. Although they are prepared to travel to the affected area, MFA reportedly advised them to wait because the region remains unsafe.

Singapore authorities assisting affected families

Meanwhile, another 29-year-old Singaporean travelling in the Himalayas told Shin Min that he was climbing with his wife, brother-in-law, a Nepalese mountain guide and a porter.

The group was heading towards Annapurna Base Camp when the disaster occurred. They did not feel any tremors or hear loud noises and only learnt about the flash floods afterwards.

The group was considering taking a helicopter down once weather conditions improved, as the condition of the descent route and transport options could be affected.

Separately, four Singaporean climbers travelling with Malaysian mountaineer Datuk Mohanadas have safely reached Tibet and are continuing their pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.

Mohanadas said his 56-member group included 39 Malaysians, four Singaporeans and three Canadians, and that their route was unaffected by the disaster.

MFA said it remains in contact with families of Singaporeans affected by the Nepal flash floods.

The Singapore High Commission in New Delhi and Singapore Embassy in Beijing are working with Nepali and Chinese authorities, while a crisis response team has also been deployed to Nepal to provide consular assistance.

Singaporeans travelling to or residing in Nepal are encouraged to eRegister with MFA. Those needing consular assistance can contact the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi, the Singapore Embassy in Beijing or MFA’s 24-hour duty office.

The Singapore Red Cross has also pledged S$50,000 in humanitarian aid for the immediate response and relief effort and plans to launch a public fundraising appeal. Singapore residents who have lost contact with immediate family members in affected areas can also contact the Singapore Red Cross for assistance.