Prayers at vigil for nurse missing in Nepal floods
Sarada Simkhada, who works at Darent Valley Hospital, was on a pilgrimage when disaster struck.
**Prayers at vigil for nurse missing in Nepal floods**
The vigil in Dartford remembered those who have lost their lives and offered prayers for Sarada Simkhada, who is missing.
Prayers were said at a vigil in Kent for a nurse who disappeared in the flash floods in Nepal.
Sarada Simkhada, a senior nurse at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, was on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash when the floods struck on 26 August, leaving at least 1,200 dead and thousands missing.
Simkhada is one of 33 British nationals unaccounted for, many of whose families have flown to the country's Tibetan border to assist in the ongoing search for survivors.
Her brother, Shambhu, said her family was desperately waiting for news that she was alive and urged her to "please stay strong, wherever you are."
At the vigil in Dartford, Rajendra Pudasaini, a childhood friend of Simkhada, described her as "a wise nurse, very humble person and a very, very active community member".
He said there was no information about her whereabouts.
Mud slides followed the flooding, burying homes and vehicles in the Nuwakot district of Nepal.
Tatajana Phillips, from Folkestone, is also worried about her sister, Julija Jakovicka, who was in Nepal for a yoga retreat when tragedy struck, while Pramod Poudel, from Uckfield in East Sussex, fears his wife, mother, brother and uncle will never be found.
In addition, Spandan Sahu, 18, from Surrey, is missing along with his father, mother and 13-year-old sister.
In a previous interview with BBC Radio Kent, Medway Council's Nina Gurung, who is a representative of the Gurkha-Nepalese community, described the situation as "absolutely shocking and devastating".
She added that another vigil will be held at Gillingham's Hindu temple on Sunday, organised by the Nepalese community in Medway.