Seema Rawla is currently experiencing a tumultuous period filled with uncertainty and anguish, as her brother, Sumit Rawla, and sister-in-law, Shubhakshi Rawla, are missing following a devastating flash flood in the Himalayan region. The couple was in the area to participate in a mountain hike when disaster struck.
On Wednesday at around 7 a.m. local time, Seema received a FaceTime call from Sumit, who was enjoying the scenery with his wife at a small tea stall. He expressed his excitement about the pleasant weather and showed them the calm rivers in the area, radiating joy and enthusiasm for the adventure ahead.
This sense of tranquility was abruptly shattered shortly after 8 a.m. when a massive ice chunk broke free in the Himalayas, triggering the tragic flash flooding. The Rawlas, along with a group from Canada, have since been reported among the missing individuals. They are permanent Canadian residents holding Singaporean passports.
As of now, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has indicated that 32 Canadians, some of whom are permanent residents, are still unaccounted for. The Canadian government is aware of a total of 866 Canadians currently in Nepal. Minister Anand has mentioned that a 24-hour emergency watch response center is operational in Ottawa to handle inquiries and support.
Reports indicate that 121 foreign nationals were rescued by the Nepal Tourism Board, but there were no Canadians among those rescued. The disaster management authority of Nepal has reported that there are currently 1,924 individuals listed as missing due to the flooding.
In response to the crisis, Minister Anand announced that the federal government would allocate $5 million for urgent humanitarian aid to organizations such as the Red Cross to deliver critical support to those affected by the disaster. Additionally, Global Affairs Canada has sent a team of five consular officials to Kathmandu to assist Canadians and collaborate with local authorities, with the possibility of deploying more personnel if required.
Seema Rawla, along with Somali Raturi from Toronto, who is also searching for her friends Poonam Dilip-Kumar Thakkar and Himanshu Agar-Wal, welcomed the announcement of relief funds. However, they expressed a strong desire for increased search efforts to locate their loved ones. Raturi emphasized the need for affected Canadian families to remain hopeful and unite their voices in advocating for the return of their family members.
Families hoping for news regarding their loved ones are being directed to contact Global Affairs Canada. However, it remains unclear when the search teams will begin their operations on the ground or when affected families can expect updates on the situation.
Files from The Canadian Press and Associated Press were used in this report.
