Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK had pledged £5 million in emergency aid to support the Nepali government following devastating floods and flash floods across the country. He described the situation as “extremely dire and devastating”.
He previously urged British nationals in Nepal and the surrounding region to follow local authorities’ guidance and comply with the latest UK travel advice.
Speaking on Thursday, King Charles said he and the Queen were “heartbroken” by the disaster and expressed his “heartfelt sympathies” to everyone affected by the floods.
As rescue teams continue searching affected areas, more details are emerging about the people missing after the devastating floods in Nepal.
Fishtail Tours and Travels confirmed that Leena Vector, from Slough, is among 27 missing travellers connected to the tour company.
Her husband, Bhupesh Vector, told the Times: “There is no doubt that she is in Nepal, so even if we find her today or tomorrow, I need to be there.”
Essex nurse Rajendra Pudasaini was also reported missing. His relatives said he was “swept away” by the floodwaters.
“My wife’s uncle and aunt are missing, their granddaughter and her husband are missing, and so is my godson,” he told PA Media.
“They’re gone. The water came in so fast we couldn’t save them; they were just swept away.”
A local MP said Sarada Simkhada, a senior nurse at Darent Valley Hospital in Kent, was among those missing after the Nepal floods.
The Times reported that Simkhada was “following in the footsteps of thousands of Hindus who will make a spiritual journey to Mount Kailash this month.”
Tatajana Phillips, from Folkestone in Kent, told the BBC that she had been unable to contact her sister, who was near the Nepal-Tibet border when devastating flash floods struck.
Phillips said her sister, Juliya Jakowiczka, was last seen in the border area about an hour before the flash flood occurred.
“Then there’s no more news,” she told the BBC.
Phillips said her sister, a mother of two who lives in Germany, had travelled to the region for a yoga and meditation retreat.
Ms Phillips’ husband, Ben, added: “We are very worried. We just know where they were, and that’s really difficult.”
Source: www.bbc.co.uk