"She's a Fighter": Terricia Govender's Mother Clings to Hope as Daughter Is Missing in Nepal Floods
- 33-year-old South African Terricia Govender went missing in Nepal on Wednesday after catastrophic floods struck the region
- Terricia Govender was on a spiritual pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and had just met religious leader Sadhguru before contact was lost
- Her mother Linda revealed that the last building Terricia was seen in was captured on video being completely swept away
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A Durban mother is holding on to faith after her 33-year-old daughter vanished during devastating floods in Nepal, just hours before she was due to fly home to South Africa. Terricia Govender was among six South Africans reported missing after floodwaters tore through parts of Nepal, Tibet and China on Wednesday, 27 August 2026. Linda Govender, Terricia's mother, told reporters she last spoke to her daughter while Terricia was at the immigration checkpoint between Nepal and China the same day the floods struck.
Source: Getty Images
What makes the situation even more distressing for the family is footage that has since emerged showing the building where Terricia was last seen being completely swept away by the floodwaters. Terricia had travelled to Nepal as part of a religious pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a journey that held deep personal significance for her. During the trip, she achieved something she had long dreamed of: a chance encounter with spiritual leader Sadhguru, whom she spotted stepping out of a vehicle on her way back from the mountain. Linda recalled the moment with both pride and heartbreak. We were so excited for her, she said. Terricia had been due to land back in South Africa on 29 August 2026.
Linda described her daughter as someone who stayed closely connected with family throughout the trip, video-calling every evening and sending photos of her meals and surroundings. Speaking to multiple media outlets across two days, Linda continues putting herself forward publicly. She told journalist Thabiso Goba that if their roles were reversed, Terricia would do exactly the same, making sure her mother was not reduced to a statistic.
"[...]She's a fighter. Terricia is a fighter, and that's what we are holding on to. That child could do whatever she had to to survive. When you watch the videos, it tells a totally different story, but we're praying every single day."
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The family is among several KwaZulu-Natal households caught up in the tragedy. Around four of the missing South Africans are from Ladysmith, with Terricia's family based in Durban. Most of the group had travelled together for the same pilgrimage. Watch the report and Linda Govender's emotional interview here:
SA supports Govender family
South Africans online responded with an outpouring of support for the Govender family:
@Trenika Govindasamy:
"Praying she comes back home alive 🙏"
@Verushka Seonath:
"Stay strong mum 🙏, I know it's easier said than done, our prayers are with you 🙏"
@Kalisha Govender:
"Nama Shivaya's strength during this time."
Other Briefly News stories about Nepal Floods
- The catastrophic flood in Nepal triggered by a glacier collapse along the Nepal-Tibet border, which was vividly explained through a compelling 3D animated model.
- Recent CCTV footage of a devastating mudslide in Nepal that surfaced on 26 August 2026 revealed the catastrophic impact of this natural disaster.
- Six South Africans reported missing in Nepal following the catastrophic floods triggered by a glacier collapse, with the humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers preparing a rescue team.
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Source: Briefly News
