Man believes missing family 'swept away' in floods
Pramod Poudel says funeral rituals will begin after days without news of his missing relatives.
A Sussex man, Pramod Poudel of Uckfield, who has been searching for his family in Nepal following recent floods, now believes they will not be found. Poudel traveled to Nepal after losing contact with his wife, mother, brother, and uncle in the wake of the disaster.
According to Poudel, relatives and other residents from his family's area now believe they were carried away by floodwaters. He stated that funeral rituals are scheduled to commence on Wednesday and last for four days.
Nepal's death toll from last week's devastating floods has surpassed 1,000, with approximately 4,000 people reported missing by officials.
In a voice message, Poudel conveyed, "After talking to my family and people who live where my family was living, everyone thinks that all of my family has been swept away by [the] flood."
Poudel noted that eight days have passed since the disaster, and many individuals from the affected region are still unaccounted for. He added, "I don't think they will find them, so for that reason, my parents, my dad, and everyone in the society decided to do rituals for funerals."
In an earlier interview with the BBC, Poudel described the search as having left him "emotionally shattered." Upon his arrival in Nepal, he encountered difficulties reaching the affected areas due to damaged roads and bridges. He reported that travel by road was impossible in some areas, while others remained inaccessible, with residents still awaiting assistance.
A fundraising campaign initiated in Sussex has garnered over £5,000 to support Poudel during his time in Nepal. Helen Graves, manager at Lakedown Taproom, mentioned that many people recognize Poudel, known as Pedro, as the "warm, hard-working face behind the MoMo Nepalese food truck."
Graves explained that Poudel's business and local bookings were put on hold after he flew to Nepal. She stated, "As a self-employed business owner, facing this unthinkable nightmare also means facing an immediate loss of livelihood, alongside mounting emergency travel, logistical, and rescue costs." She added that the funds would help alleviate Poudel's financial strain as he concentrates on finding his family.