The daughter of an Indian-origin woman in the UK who has been missing since devastating flash floods struck Nepal has traced her mother’s last known location through a TikTok video posted hours before the disaster.
Tulshi Patel, a pharmacist from Milton Keynes, said Hemangini Jitendra Patel and Hema Sunil Amin had travelled to Kathmandu on Saturday as part of an Eco-Trek, according to LBC.
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Patel saw mother and aunt in TikTok video
Deep Dive
How did Tulshi Patel trace her missing mother's location during the Nepal floods?
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Speaking to LBC's Matt Frei on Saturday, Patel said she last spoke to them just days before the devastating floods hit on Wednesday.
"They were supposed to have crossed the border on Tuesday, but I guess due to weather conditions, they got delayed and unfortunately crossed over on Wednesday," said Patel.
"Monday was the last time we'd spoken to them," she added. "We got a photo of them on Tuesday with the coach."
Patel said she later came across a TikTok video posted by the tour company showing her mother in Timure, near the Tibetan border crossing, shortly before the floods.
{{/usCountry}}Patel said she later came across a TikTok video posted by the tour company showing her mother in Timure, near the Tibetan border crossing, shortly before the floods.
{{/usCountry}}The last known location of Patel's family was a GPS signal at the 'Friendship Bridge'.
"We did our own deep dive research, and we found a TikTok video that verified and showed my mum and auntie and 3 other people from the tour at the border waiting to cross, that the local Nepalese tour guide had made. It was Wednesday morning, just before 6 am, Nepal time."
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‘Very important trip’ for both women
Patel said the trip was "very important" to her mother and aunt.
"This was something that they were both looking forward to. They'd been talking about this from the beginning of the year. It was something that was on their bucket list that they really wanted to do."
While Patel has considered travelling to Nepal, she said she had been told that they would only be "stuck in Kathmandu".
"At this point we don't really know where we would go because we can't cross the border; we can't actually be there to help.
"We've also heard that all the private helicopters and stuff the government have taken just so that they can use it to help and search for people, which we understand 100%."
“The scenes along the Nepal-China border are devastating, and our thoughts remain with all those affected by this tragedy," a spokesperson from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said.
“We recognise this is a distressing time and are working around the clock to support families and loved ones of British nationals missing in the floods.
“We are coordinating closely with the Nepali and Chinese authorities and have deployed consular staff to the region to ensure British nationals can access support."