The family of 33-year-old Terricia Govender is desperately waiting for news after she went missing when flash floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border. The Nepal floods missing South African was part of a travel group at the border when an immigration office was reportedly washed away on Wednesday. Her family said they were informed that she was among those unaccounted for.
Terricia, from Isipingo Beach, had travelled to the region on 12 August for a pilgrimage she had been anticipating for months. Although she was travelling alone, she was part of a larger tour group associated with the Isha Foundation. The group was returning from the Mount Kailash Yatra when the floods struck.
Her mother, Linda Govender, said the family last spoke to Terricia on Tuesday while she was shopping and sightseeing. During a video call, Terricia showed her mother some of the places she had visited before returning to her hotel to sleep.
Nepal Floods Leave Durban Family Waiting For Missing Daughter
The Nepal floods missing woman was expected to speak to her family again after returning to her hotel, but that call never came. Initially, her family believed the lack of communication was caused by poor cellphone reception. Their concerns grew when an email from the foundation confirmed that Terricia was among the group members missing at the border.
“After a while, she went back to her hotel to sleep. We were meant to speak again yesterday, but she never called,” she said.
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Govender said the family received the email at about 2.30pm. She said they have received no further information about her daughter’s whereabouts.
“I waited but thought that the signal was just bad. 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,” Govender said.
“That is all the information we have received. We know nothing else.”
The distance between South Africa and the disaster zone has left the family feeling powerless. Govender said they were struggling to find people on the ground who could assist them in locating Terricia.
“It is so difficult being in another country and not being able to know anyone there to help us. We are lost and distraught,” Govender said.
Missing South African Celebrated Birthday During Pilgrimage
The missing South African woman in Nepal had celebrated her 33rd birthday during the pilgrimage shortly before the floods. Govender said Terricia marked the occasion on 20 August with Sadhguru, an experience she regarded as particularly meaningful. Her daughter had been excited about being part of the pilgrimage.
“She was so excited to be part of the Sadhguru group. She was his devoted follower,” her mother said.
“She was part of the S3 group. She always wanted to visit the birthplace of Lord Shiva.”
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Govender said her daughter had travelled alone but was part of the wider group returning from the Mount Kailash Yatra. The family is now waiting for confirmation about what happened to her after the flooding.
The Nepal floods search for missing South Africans has left Govender appealing to anyone with information about her daughter or the affected pilgrimage group to come forward. The family became increasingly distressed after seeing footage of the flooding and wondering whe
