A 49-year-old Winnipeg man is one of 31 Canadians confirmed missing after a destructive flash flood hit the Nepal and China region Wednesday.
Mohit Kaushik was on a several-day-long sacred pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, the family confirmed on Sunday. The trek holds cultural significance for people practising Hinduism.
A glacier collapse triggered the series of floods, generating the equivalent of a 5.2-magnitude earthquake. Around 2,000 people are missing and hundreds dead days after the flood hit a popular tourist region along the Himalayan border Wednesday.
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Kalista Kaushik, Mohit’s daughter, said in a phone call Sunday that the family isn’t ready to speak and is waiting for more information.
Swikriti Pokhrel, a friend and neighbour of Mohit, posted on social media Friday that Mohit has been out of contact since Thursday while travelling from Timure.
Thirty-one Canadians have not been found, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said in a social media post Saturday.
Ranju Upadhyaya, former president of the Nepali Cultural Society of Manitoba, said there are around 1,000 Nepalese people in Manitoba, and they’re expecting more grief as more information comes.
“As more days pass, someone will realize they haven’t heard back from their family, especially for the students who are here without their families, and their families are back home…. I can definitely imagine it’s a tough time for them,” said Upadhyaya, who was born in Nepal.
The group is raising money to send to flood victims in Nepal.
Global News has reached out to the tour company for more information but didn’t get a response before deadline.
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