West Midlands couple among those missing after Nepal floods
Bipin Patel, 66, and his wife Mala Patel, 60, travelled to Nepal on August 22,
A West Midlands couple are among dozens of British nationals missing and feared dead after flash floods hit Nepal.
Bipin Patel, 66, and his wife Mala Patel, 60, from Coventry, travelled to Nepal on August 22 to make a pilgrimage to the sacred Hindu site of Mount Kailash.
Their sons Deepesh and Anant Patel said the family last heard from the couple, who run a tutoring business, on Tuesday (August 25).
Deepesh Patel told the Press Association that their last known location was in the Gyirong area of the Nepal-China border.
His brother Anant Patel, told Sky News he was “shocked” at the lack of information about their whereabouts.
Anant Patel said: “I think from our perspective, we’re not just shocked that our parents appear to be missing, but also… the ongoing lack of certainty is causing further distress.”
Some 33 British nationals are believed to be unaccounted for in Nepal. Among the other people with links to the UK who are missing are:
- Sarada Simkhada, a senior nurse at Darent Valley Hospital in Kent, who was in Nepal making a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.
- Leena Bector, a director of a care agency from Slough, who is among 27 travellers associated with the Fishtail Tours and Travels group currently unaccounted for.
- Hema Amin, from Croydon, who began a pilgrimage to Gosainkunda lake on Monday that was due to last until September 4.
- Nabhi Nandan Das, a 64-year-old Hindu priest from Streatham, south London, who was leading a group of 11 Britons on a tour to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar.
- Sumitra Poudel, who disappeared in the floods. Her 24-year-old British businessman husband travelled to Nepal on Thursday to search for her, as well as his mother, uncle and brother.
The floods have left families across the UK waiting for news about relatives who travelled to Nepal on pilgrimage and holiday trips.