Families Search Nepal for 33 Missing British Nationals

**Published: 28 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online**

Families of missing British nationals have travelled to Nepal in an increasingly desperate search for relatives feared to have been caught in the devastating flash floods that swept through the Nepal-Tibet border region.

The disaster has left at least 475 people dead across Nepal and Tibet, while several hundred others remain unaccounted for. Among those reported missing are 537 tourists, many of whom had travelled to the mountainous region for trekking, pilgrimage and spiritual retreats.

Nepalese authorities released a list on Friday containing the names of known missing tourists. The list included 33 British nationals, among them a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy. The revelation has intensified concerns among families in Britain, several of whom have decided to travel to Nepal themselves as rescue teams continue searching remote areas affected by the flooding.

The scale of the disaster and the destruction of roads, bridges and telecommunications infrastructure have made it difficult for authorities and families to establish contact with people who were in the affected region when the flood struck.

Among the British nationals whose whereabouts remain unknown is Leena Bector from Slough. Fishtail Tours and Travels confirmed that she was among 27 travellers connected with the company who remained unaccounted for.

Her husband, Bhupesh Bector, told The Times that he knew his wife was in Nepal and felt compelled to travel there himself.

“I know that she’s in Nepal for sure, so even if they find her today or tomorrow, I need to be there,” he said.

His decision reflects the anguish being experienced by families who have been left with little information about their relatives. With communications disrupted across parts of the disaster zone, many have been forced to wait for updates from tour companies, Nepalese officials and rescue agencies.

For some families, however, waiting from thousands of miles away has become unbearable.

Essex nurse Rajendra Pudasaini said several members of his family were swept away by the flood. He told PA Media that his wife’s aunt and uncle, their granddaughter and her husband, as well as his godson, were among those missing.

“They’re gone. The speed the water came, they couldn’t be saved, they were just swept away,” he said.

Sarada Simkhada, a senior nurse at Darent Valley Hospital in Kent, has also been reported missing, according to a local councillor. Simkhada was understood to have been travelling towards Mount Kailash, a sacred destination that attracts thousands of Hindu pilgrims.

The spiritual significance of the region has added another dimension to the disaster. Several British nationals were among international travellers making pilgrimage journeys or taking part in organised retreats when the flooding struck.

Tatajana Phillips, from Folkestone in Kent, said she had been unable to contact her sister Julija Jakovicka, who was believed to have been near the Nepal-Tibet border shortly before the flash flood.

Phillips said her sister was in the area for a yoga and meditation retreat and that her last known location was recorded roughly an hour before the disaster.

“Then there is no more news,” she said.

Phillips described the uncertainty as extremely difficult for the family. Her sister, a mother of two who lives in Germany, had travelled to Nepal expecting a spiritual and peaceful experience.

“We are terribly worried,” Phillips’ husband Ben said.

The families’ fears have been compounded by the extraordinary speed and force of the flooding. Entire sections of villages were destroyed, while roads and bridges disappeared beneath torrents of water, mud and debris.

Pramod Poudel, who lives in Uckfield in East Sussex, said his mother, wife, brother and uncle were among those missing. He has travelled to Nepal because he believes his family needs him at the scene.

“It’s a very, very difficult time for me and for my family and my country at this moment, but obviously I have to go and see what’s happening there,” he said.

Poudel, who is also known as Pedro, said his decision to travel home was driven by his concern for his relatives.

“My family needs me,” he said.

University of Kent graduate Nabhi Das, from Streatham in south London, has also been widely reported as missing.

Tour operators have provided further details about the number of British nationals caught up in the disaster. The Trekkers’ Society said nine Britons on one of its Mount Kailash tours were among those unaccounted for. The group included four males aged 14, 50, 50 and 54, and five women aged 40, 46, 50, 50 and 53.

Other companies, including Alpine Eco Trek, Himalayan Glacier US, Kailash Journeys and Fishtail Tours, have also reported missing British travellers.

Alpine Eco Trek said it had been unable to establish contact with 12 Britons booked on a Mount Kailash tour. Four Nepalese tour guides connected with the company were also missing.

The youngest person recorded among the company’s missing travellers was a 13-year-old girl.

The disaster struck early on Wednesday in Rasuwa, an area north of Kathmandu close to Nepal’s mountainous border with China. Initial reports suggested that an earthquake may have triggered the catastrophic event, but subsequent analysis by the US Geological Survey indicated that the seismic activity was associated with a landslide and glacial collapse rather than a conventional earthquake.

According to the US Geological Survey, a magnitude 5.2 seismic event occurred near the border at approximately 08:37 local time. The agency said the seismic energy was generated by a glacial collapse and debris flow.

Scientists believe the collapse sent enormous quantities of ice, rock and debris into a river system, creating a sudden surge of water that travelled rapidly downstream. The geography of the Himalayas, with steep valleys and settlements concentrated along river corridors, left communities and travellers with little time to respond.

The disaster has also raised fears of further flooding as authorities monitor unstable areas and water accumulating behind natural debris barriers.

Rescue operations have been severely complicated by the destruction of infrastructure. Some communities remain difficult to reach, while damaged telecommunications networks have made it difficult to contact people in remote areas.

Helicopters and emergency teams have been deployed to search for survivors and recover bodies. But the mountainous terrain, continuing risks from unstable ground and the possibility of further flooding have created significant challenges.

The British government has urged nationals in the region to follow instructions from local authorities and official travel advice.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK had offered £5m in assistance to the Nepalese government following the floods, describing the disaster as a “very distressing and devastating situation”.

The support is intended to assist Nepal as authorities continue rescue, recovery and humanitarian operations in the affected areas.

For families in Britain, however, the immediate priority remains locating their loved ones.

The release of the list of missing tourists has provided some families with confirmation that their relatives were in the affected region, but it has also deepened the uncertainty for those still waiting for news.

The fact that so many foreign tourists were in the area illustrates the international dimension of the disaster. Travellers from Britain, India, the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries were among those visiting Nepal and the surrounding Himalayan region.

The tragedy has also highlighted the risks faced by tourists travelling through remote mountain areas, where extreme weather, glacial instability and difficult terrain can turn a journey into a life-threatening emergency within minutes.

As search teams continue working across the flood zone, families are hoping that more survivors will be found and that authorities will be able to establish the whereabouts of those still missing.

For those who have already travelled to Nepal, the journey is not simply an attempt to obtain information. It is an effort to be close to the rescue operation, to find relatives and, where possible, to bring them home.

Until communications are restored and the search reaches more of the affected areas, many families remain caught between hope and fear.

The coming days are expected to be crucial as rescuers continue searching damaged communities and authorities assess the risk of further flooding. For the families waiting in Britain and those now travelling through Nepal, every confirmed sighting, phone call or rescue report could bring the news they have been desperately waiting for.

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