slug: Nepal floodsAhmedabad: Twelve-year-old Adhya Patel was meant to be walking beside his parents on their Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. But he changed his mind at the last moment and stayed back in Gujarat with the couple’s family. That decision has left him safe, but separated from the parents he is now desperate to hear from. Bimal and Jaimina Patel have been unreachable since Monday morning, two days before floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday. As the family clings to the couple’s last call and final photograph they sent from Pashupatinath Temple, the 12-year-old anxiously waits for one more call: this time to hear that his parents are alive and well.Bimal, 47, and Jaimina, 43, are NRIs from the US who travelled to India before leaving for Nepal.
Last photo sent by Bimal and Jaimina Patel from Pashupatinath Temple on Monday night
They are among 12 people from Gujarat who have been reported missing or unreachable after flash floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, officials said on Thursday. Several of those affected were travelling towards Kailash Mansarovar, one of the routes hit by the disaster.“They wanted to undertake the Kailash Mansarovar yatra and were supposed to be at the immigration facility for an interview around 8.30am,” said Dharmendra Patel, Bimal’s younger brother.The family last spoke to the couple on Sunday night. “They shared a photograph from Pashupatinath Temple. Since then, we have been unable to contact them,” said Dharmendra.
Kinnari, 50, and Mihir Patel, 52, travelled from New Zealand to Kathmandu for their Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage
Sister missing, man hunts for answersEvery unanswered call has deepened Chirag Patel’s fear for his sister and brother-in-law. Kinnari, 50, and Mihir Patel, 52, travelled from New Zealand to Kathmandu for their Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, but have been unreachable since entering the China border area.“Their phones are switched off. We do not know whether they crossed the border or reached Kerung,” Chirag said.The couple’s sons, Dharshya and Tatva, who are pursuing careers in medicine, remain in New Zealand, waiting apprehensively for news of their parents.The family tried getting in touch with the tour operator. After repeated calls went unanswered, the operator sent a message saying that a team had been sent at 8am to assess the situation.“We sincerely apologize for not taking your calls as we are tied up with setting up a disaster management team. We plan to send 20 Sherpas from Kathmandu by land, accompanied by a medical team, medicines, food, and water. All these logistic arrangements take time to organize and we have not been able to update you.”A birthday marked by silenceBhavin Patel had set out on the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage with two close friends a few days ago, carrying the hopes of a family who had watched him build a life in Australia. Thursday should have begun with birthday calls, warm wishes and celebrations as he turned 41. Instead, his elder brother Dhaval began the day by calling their father in Vadnagar with the painful news: there was no word from Bhavin.Bhavin had moved to Australia soon after his marriage and built a life there with his wife, a chartered accountant working in the human resources department of an Australian university, and their two children. A branch manager in the hospitality sector, he had planned the pilgrimage with two close friends, Arpan and Karan, through a tour operator.Bhavin’s last call was at 5.30am on Wednesday to his wife in Australia. He told her that the group had cleared Nepal immigration and were waiting for Tibetan immigration to open. Since then, the phones have gone silent.Family fears for pilgrim on final major yatraA pilgrimage planned as a spiritual milestone has left one Memnagar family fearing for a loved one. Dr Utkarsh Gondaliya is waiting for news of his 68-year-old brother, who was part of a 95-member group travelling towards Kailash Mansarovar. The group was at a visa office when contact was lost.“This was his first Kailash Mansarovar yatra,” Gondaliya said. The journey held special significance for his brother, who had already visited the other Jyotirlingas and wanted to complete the pilgrimage while he still could.“He is 68, and we were told that China does not issue visas for people above 70. He wanted to complete Mansarovar while he still had the opportunity. It was the only major pilgrimage he hadn’t covered,” Utkarsh said.The family has been waiting for updates as floods continue to affect the region. Each unanswered call has deepened their worry about the pilgrim whose long-awaited spiritual journey has now become a source of fear and uncertainty.AirTag location sustains family’s hopeRoma Intwala and Dr Jay Kotecha had spent months planning a pilgrimage they hoped would become a cherished family memory. Instead, their last conversation from Timure village has become the final link their relatives have to them. The cousins have remained unreachable after floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border region.Roma, 41, a working professional from Valsad and mother to a daughter, and Jay, 45, a Mumbai-based doctor with two children, had completed the Char Dham pilgrimage earlier and were determined to undertake this one despite the difficult terrain and unpredictable weather.Their last known location was near the Friendship Bridge, where an Apple AirTag showed them at around 9pm, said their cousin, Rajkot resident Viral Nathwani. On Wednesday, Nathwani’s wife spoke to Roma, who said they were in Timure village and preparing to leave. It was the family’s last conversation with either of them.Nathwani learnt about the floods through social media. At first, he was unsure whether his cousins were in the affected area. He began making calls through his contacts and asked his brother in Ahmedabad to help gather information. “Roma’s father and brother are in Kathmandu and have approached Indian Embassy in Nepal for help,” he said.“Roma’s father and brother are now in Kathmandu and have approached the Indian Embassy in Nepal for information about her whereabouts,” he said.Reports later circulated on social media claiming that Roma had been identified, with the Valsad Mamlatdar quoted in connection with the development. However, Nathwani said the family had received no official confirmation.For now, the cousins’ families are holding on to their last conversation, the AirTag location and the hope that Roma and Jay will be found safe.Retired US bizman’s yatra raises worryDinesh Patel had eagerly waited for his chance to undertake the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. At 64, the retired businessman finally set out alone from New York to go on the cherished yatra. His last call came on Monday from Nepal. Since then, his nephew Javsu Patel has been waiting for news.For Dinesh, the journey was not easy from the start. Securing permission for the journey had taken time because of his age, but he finally got his chance this year.“Leaving his wife behind in the United States, he set off to join a group of NRI friends for the journey. We last heard from our uncle on Monday, when he called to say the group was still in Nepal,” Javsu said.
