As rescuers search for thousands missing after the August 26 Nepal-Tibet floods, noted restaurateur Zorawar Kalra, son of legendary late chef Jiggs Kalra, is awaiting news of his cousin Sumit Rawla and his wife Shubakshi, who were on the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. Kalra posted their photos, passport details and last known location, the Timure border, on Facebook on Friday, seeking information.
“These two are my family. There are missing in Nepal since the last 48 hours. I’m doing my best with my friends in Nepal but putting this out there in case someone has any info,” Kalra wrote on social media.
He tells us, “Sumit is my family; I grew up with him. They had gone for the Mansarovar yatra. Apparently, their hotel has been completely washed away. We are only hoping that they were not swept away and that they were able to reach high ground. A lot of people from the area had moved to higher ground upon hearing about the flooding. We are simply hoping they are alive.”
With communication networks badly affected by the destruction, Kalra calls the past three days a “nightmare situation”. “The only thing we can do is spread the word,” he says. The couple’s two teenage daughters did not travel with them. “They are distraught, but staying strong. Every day, the chances of finding their parents are getting reduced by a drastic margin. They are little girls, and it’s just heartbreaking.”
Kalra says his thoughts are also with others caught in the disaster. “It’s such an important pilgrimage, and attracts thousands of visitors every year. The chances are one in several billion that you could be there.”
{{/usCountry}}Kalra says his thoughts are also with others caught in the disaster. “It’s such an important pilgrimage, and attracts thousands of visitors every year. The chances are one in several billion that you could be there.”
{{/usCountry}}Around 320 Indians and over 100 people of Indian origin remained missing, leaving hundreds of families clinging to hope as rescue teams continued their search.