Durban Woman Among Pilgrims Missing After Nepal-Tibet Floods
- Terricia Govender from Isipingo Beach went missing after flash floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border area
- Terricia was part of an Isha Foundation pilgrimage group returning from the Mount Kailash Yatra when disaster struck
- Her mother, Linda, said the family has received no updates from authorities and is pleading for anyone with information to come forward
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Source: Getty Images
KWAZULU-NATAL - A Durban family is in agony waiting for news about their daughter after she was reported missing following deadly flash floods near the Nepal-Tibet border.
Terricia Govender, 33, from Isipingo Beach, had been travelling with a pilgrimage group organised through the Isha Foundation when the floods tore through the area on a Wednesday, destroying an immigration office near the border crossing. Her family was notified by the foundation that she was among those unaccounted for.
Govender's pilgramage to Nepal
Terricia had set off on 12 August, excited for a journey she had been planning for months. She was travelling as part of the S3 group, which was making its way back from the Mount Kailash Yatra, a pilgrimage to a site regarded as the birthplace of Lord Shiva. Though she went without family, she was joined by a larger tour group of fellow devotees.
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"She was so excited to be part of the Sadhguru group. She was his devoted follower," her mother, Linda Govender, said.
Last call before the floods
The family's last contact with Terricia came the day before the disaster. She video-called home while out shopping and sightseeing, showing her mother some of the sights before heading back to her hotel to rest. They expected to hear from her again the next morning.
When she did not call, the family initially put it down to poor signal. Then, at 2:30pm, an email arrived from the foundation.
"At 2.30pm, we got an email from the foundation saying she was part of the group which was at the border and was now missing," Linda said.
The timing made the news even more difficult to bear. Terricia had just celebrated her 33rd birthday on 20 August while on the pilgrimage, marking the occasion with fellow travellers.
See post form her mother here:
Family appeals for information
After videos of the flooding began circulating, the Govender family's worry deepened. Watching the footage of the destruction, they could not stop thinking about where Terricia might have been when it happened.
"When we saw the videos of the flooding, we were devastated, thinking where she must have been when it happened and where she is now," Linda said.
The family described feeling helpless from thousands of kilometres away, with little support from official channels.
"It is so difficult being in another country and not being able to know anyone there to help us. We want her to be found safe and brought home to us."" Linda said. "
Four South Africans missing in Nepal
Briefly News previously reported that four South Africans are among 384 tourists still unaccounted for after severe flash floods tore through Nepal's Rasuwa district, a mountainous region bordering Tibet. At least 31 people have been killed, and authorities fear the figure will rise as search and rescue operations continue. According to SABC News, the Nepal Tourism Board confirmed that of the 384 missing travellers, 291 are foreign nationals. The missing include 105 Indian nationals and four South Africans, among others. Rasuwa, situated in northern Nepal along the Tibetan border, is a popular destination for international tourists.
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Source: Briefly News
