Another British Columbia couple is missing following catastrophic flash flooding in Nepal, raising concerns among local families and prompting renewed calls for international aid and intervention. As of August 28, 2026, the number of Canadian citizens and permanent residents unaccounted for in the disaster has increased to 32, including the Coquitlam-based Rawla family, Sumit and Shubakshi Rawla, and their travel companions, Port Moody residents Dhaval and Megha Shah. Their daughter, Kenisha Rawla, expressed deep worry during a recent interview with Global News, stating, “We’ve been so worried.” She described how she and her sister have made over 200 phone calls to their parents in hopes of receiving even a brief signal indicating their safety. The Rawlas and the Shahs were reportedly on a guided pilgrimage in the affected region when the floods struck on the morning of August 26. According to Nikita Shah, a relative of the missing couple, the group lost contact around 8:30 a.m. that day. “So we don’t know where they have been since then,” she said. The family remains hopeful, though increasingly anxious, as days pass without confirmation of the couple’s whereabouts. Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand reiterated that no Canadian deaths have been confirmed, although the number of unaccounted individuals continues to rise. The devastation caused by the floods extends far beyond the immediate loss of life. At least 579 people have been confirmed dead, with thousands more missing. The situation has worsened due to ongoing poor weather conditions, which have hindered aerial rescue operations. In a separate update, the Nepal Tourism Board reported that 121 foreign nationals had been rescued, though none of them were Canadian. The disaster has severely impacted the region, particularly near the Nepal-China border, where communities are largely inaccessible due to landslides and blocked roads. Tamara Demuria, Corus International’s Chief Humanitarian Officer, noted that “some of the communities are completely cut out” and that “the damage is way more severe.” Amid the chaos, the Canadian government has pledged $5 million in humanitarian aid to assist with relief efforts. However, some families, including the Rawlas and the Shahs, believe more action is needed. Kenisha Rawla urged the government to send rescue teams, emphasizing that “their families must be worried sick like we are.” Similarly, Dhaval Shah’s brother, Kheval Shah, based in Mumbai, India, expressed frustration over the lack of updates. “Everybody is on edge to get some news,” he said, adding that his family is “hoping that they find them and some miracles happen and we see them again.” The floods, which struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, have claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands. Many of the missing are believed to have been part of a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a sacred site for Hindus, Buddhists, and other religious groups. The scale of the disaster has overwhelmed local resources, with rescuers pulling survivors covered in mud and using helicopters to evacuate stranded individuals. Despite these efforts, the search for the missing continues under difficult conditions, with families relying on community support and emotional resilience. As the situation unfolds, the focus remains on finding the missing and ensuring the safety of those still in danger. With the search entering its third week, the hope of locating the Rawlas, the Shahs, and others remains alive, though the challenges posed by the terrain and weather continue to complicate recovery efforts.
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