SINGAPORE: With his wife missing in the Nepal-Tibet floods, he does not know what to tell their seven-year-old daughter.
Wanting to be known only as Selvaganesh, 43, he said his wife, Shalinny Deavy, 40, had been on a pilgrimage in Nepal when floods and landslides swept through parts of central Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday (Aug 26).
That night, Selvaganesh told their daughter, an only child, that Shalinny was missing.
The Singaporean couple has been married for 10 years.
Selvaganesh said: “I just told my daughter, ‘Amma (mother) is missing’. She said she misses Amma, and before she went to school, she said to tell Amma to call in the evening as she wants to talk to her.
“I don’t know what else to tell her.”
Over 1,500 people are missing following floods and landslides in Nepal and Tibet on Aug 26, killing at least 270 people.
Nepal’s Tourism Board said over 500 foreigners remained uncontactable, including those from India, the US, Ukraine, Malaysia, and Australia.
Nine are Singaporeans.
Selvaganesh said the last message he received from his wife was at around 9.15am on Aug 26. She was about to clear immigration at the border between Nepal and China, and would update him when she could.
Then, a friend contacted him in the evening asking if his wife was all right. He learnt about the floods, and got worried.
When he checked his wife’s location on the Find My app, it was unavailable and her last seen location was border immigration.
He said: “I’m hoping for the best. I don’t know what else I can do.”
Inland tsunami
The disaster has been described as an inland tsunami, travelling nearly 170km down the Bhote Koshi valley into central Nepal.
Videos showed massive waves of mud and debris sweeping away buildings, trees, vehicles and people in seconds.
Shalinny was part of a group of 25, including two other Singaporeans, on a 15-day pilgrimage in Nepal and Tibet organised by a Malaysian tour group.
The trip started on Aug 23, and they had travelled from the Nepal capital Kathmandu to the border with Tibet.
Another Singaporean pilgrim who was part of the group was S Maniam, 66.
He last sent a message to his family at around 8am on Aug 26, saying they would be crossing into China by 1pm, and he would only be able to contact them about nine hours later.
His brother, who did not want to be identified, said the group have been uncontactable since, and the family was praying for everyone’s safety.
They had been getting updates from tour agencies in Malaysia and Nepal, and had been anxiously awaiting news from the Singapore authorities.
He said: “We are keeping our hopes high even though we are at a loss now and are not sure what else we can do.”
Nepali Tom Shrestha, 56, owns Tims Restaurant & Cafe in Toa Payoh, and is from the municipal called Chitwan in Nepal. He does not know of anyone affected by the flood, and is in contact with the Nepalese Society in Singapore, which represents the community here.
Shrestha said the community here had coordinated a donation drive in April 2015 for victims in Nepal following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed around 9,000 people and injured about 22,000 across Nepal and in surrounding countries.
He said: “We received too many supplies from so many people that the restaurant was getting too full. So many things ended up going to waste, and reaching Nepal late. It’s better to wait this time, and see what the authorities are saying.”
The Society’s president, Indra Bahadur Gurung, said he had held an emergency meeting with the organisation’s committee on Aug 26.
He said no one from the community here - which is made up of around 1,000 Nepalese, excluding the Gurkhas - was in Nepal at the time of the incident.
Gurung said: “We are unable to tell how many casualties there are exactly. The authorities are saying it may take days or even weeks to assess.”
Singapore offers help
Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Ministry (MFA) is in touch with the Nepali and Chinese authorities to provide consular assistance to affected Singaporeans, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Aug 27.
Expressing his condolences to affected families, PM Wong said: “Our thoughts are with the people of Nepal and China during this difficult time, and with the authorities and emergency personnel working tirelessly on rescue and recovery efforts. We hope for the safe return of those still missing.”
MFA said in an advisory on Aug 27 that Singaporeans in Nepal should avoid flood-affected areas like Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan, and stay away from rivers, riverbanks, bridges and low-lying areas.
Singaporeans travelling to or residing in Nepal should eRegister at https://eregister.mfa.gov.sg.
Those who require consular assistance should contact the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi or the 24-hour MFA line at +65 6379 8800/8855.
The Singapore Red Cross pledged $50,000 in humanitarian aid to support immediate response and relief efforts, and will be launching a public fundraising appeal for those affected.
Those in Singapore who have lost contact with their immediate family members in affected areas can e-mail rfl@redcross.sg.
- The Straits Times/ANN
