Anxious wait for UK-based Malayali woman missing in Nepal flash floods
An anxious wait has gripped families in both London and Kerala as search efforts continue for Sunanda Maniraj, a 63-year-old UK-based Malayali woman who went missing following the devastating flash floods and landslides in Nepal. Sunanda, originally a resident of Paravur Kongal in Kollam, has lived
An anxious wait has gripped families in both London and Kerala as search efforts continue for Sunanda Maniraj, a 63-year-old UK-based Malayali woman who went missing following the devastating flash floods and landslides in Nepal. Sunanda, originally a resident of Paravur Kongal in Kollam, has lived
An anxious wait has gripped families in both London and Kerala as search efforts continue for Sunanda Maniraj, a 63-year-old UK-based Malayali woman who went missing following the devastating flash floods and landslides in Nepal. Sunanda, originally a resident of Paravur Kongal in Kollam, has lived
An anxious wait has gripped families in both London and Kerala as search efforts continue for Sunanda Maniraj, a 63-year-old UK-based Malayali woman who went missing following the devastating flash floods and landslides in Nepal. Sunanda, originally a resident of Paravur Kongal in Kollam, has lived in the UK for over four decades and worked as a security officer at a London airport.
She had embarked on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a lifelong dream, along with a travel group from London. While the pilgrimage party originally comprised 17 members, one member, Beena from Chirayinkeezhu, had to abandon the journey in Delhi due to swelling in the leg and returned to the UK. This left Sunanda as the sole Malayali in the remaining 16-member group, accompanied by four guides.
The group left London on August 22 and reached Rasuwagadhi near the Nepal-Tibet border. While they were waiting for immigration clearances to cross into Tibet, sudden flash floods and landslides struck the mountainous region, severing all communications in the area.
Sunanda last spoke to her family on August 25 around 12.00 pm. She had spoken to her sister Girija Devi, who is in Kerala, through video call. Sunanda expressed excitement about the impending border crossing. Following this call, all contact via mobile network and WhatsApp ceased. While the family initially assumed it was a routine network issue common in high-altitude terrains, their anxiety escalated as news of the devastating natural disaster broke.
Back in Kollam, her husband, K Maniraj, is staying at their family home in Eravipuram, waiting desperately for any positive update. Meanwhile, her daughters, Dr Meera Maniraj and Dr Sumi Maniraj, are coordinating with authorities in London. British officials have already conducted an online briefing for the families of the missing persons. The family is in constant touch with both Indian and British consular offices to monitor search operations.
Apart from Sunanda, five other individuals of Indian origin from the same travel group are reported missing in the region. This includes four Australian citizens and one US citizen, identified as Krishnakumar Raghavan.
The Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage was a deeply cherished spiritual goal for Sunanda. To prepare for the physically demanding trek, she had undergone rigorous training over the last six months, choosing to walk the eight-kilometre distance from her home to her workplace in London daily.
Upon reaching Nepal, she took a helicopter flight from Kathmandu to the border zone to fast-track her immigration clearance. Although adverse weather conditions forced her to switch from the helicopter to a taxi midway, she arrived at the border checkpoint ahead of the rest of her group. Due to delays faced by other members, the trek, originally scheduled to commence on August 25, was reportedly postponed to August 26.
As rescue operations continue amidst challenging weather conditions in the rugged border terrains of Nepal, her loved ones in Kerala and the UK remain hopeful for her safe return.