Terricia Govender's Mother Flies to Nepal to Join Search for Missing SA Woman
- Linda Govender travelled to Nepal to search for her daughter Terricia, one of six South Africans missing after devastating floods struck the country
- The family said logistics and imminent danger at the disaster site delayed Linda's departure from the Wednesday she received the news
- Terricia's uncle Arvind spoke to SABC News about Linda's emotional state and the family's collective hope that she will return home safely
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Source: UGC
KWAZULU-NATAL — The mother of missing South African woman Terricia Govender has boarded a flight to Nepal to personally join the search for her daughter, the family confirmed in an interview with SABC News on 3 September 2026.
According to SABC News, Terricia is among six South Africans who went missing after [catastrophic flooding struck Nepal, triggered by a glacier collapse in the Himalayas. The glacier gave way from an elevation of approximately 7,000 feet, sending a deadly cascade of rock and ice down the mountainside and into the Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi River, which flows from China into Nepal. A simultaneous landslide compounded the destruction.
Linda Govender's decision to travel
Speaking to SABC News from Durban, family spokesperson Arvind said Linda had begun making arrangements to travel to Nepal from the very first day the devastating news reached the family. "It's based on basically simply motherly instinct, a mother's love," he said, explaining that Linda felt a deep compulsion to be physically present with her daughter.
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The trip was not immediate, however. Arvind described it as a delayed departure, noting that the dangerous conditions on the ground and the complex logistics of reaching the affected region had slowed the process. Planning had to account for where Linda would land and how she would move safely once in Nepal.
Family holds on to hope
Despite the emotional toll the ordeal has taken on the family, Arvind said Linda remained resolute and hopeful ahead of the journey.
"She's still very emotional, but absolutely hopeful," he said, adding that the family had been praying continuously.
Linda was accompanied on the trip by her brother, identified only as Salva, as well as a family friend who would provide emotional support throughout the journey.
Arvind said Linda's goal was unambiguous.
"Three of them went out and four of them are going to be coming back happily. She's gone out there to bring Teresha back to us. That is the sole purpose of this trip," he said.
He added that knowing the entire family stood behind her was giving Linda the strength she needed during one of the most difficult periods of her life.
Watch the SABC News interview with the Govender family spokesperson:
Video of woman missing in Nepal goes viral
In a related article, Briefly News reported on Terricia Govender who went missing after flash floods struck during her return from a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Nepal. Her family revealed that she celebrated her birthday on this sacred journey, cherishing moments with spiritual leader Sadhguru just days before the tragic events unfolded.
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Source: Briefly News
