Winnipeg man on pilgrimage missing in deadly Nepal-China floods

Mohit Kaushik was travelling from Timure on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar when his family lost contact with him. The 49-year-old Winnipeg man is among 31 Canadians confirmed missing after destructive flash floods struck the Nepal-China region.

Kaushik’s family confirmed that he had joined the several-day sacred pilgrimage, which holds cultural significance for Hindus. His daughter, Kalista Kaushik, said Sunday that the family was not ready to speak and was waiting for more information.

A friend and neighbour, Swikriti Pokhrel, said on social media that Kaushik had been out of contact since Thursday. The flooding followed a glacier collapse that generated force equivalent to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake.

About 2,000 people remain missing and hundreds have died days after the floods hit a popular tourist area along the Himalayan border. Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said 31 Canadians had not been found.

The disaster has also unsettled Manitoba’s Nepalese community. Ranju Upadhyaya, a former president of the Nepali Cultural Society of Manitoba, said the province has about 1,000 Nepalese residents and that more families may receive distressing news as information emerges. The group is collecting money for flood victims in Nepal.

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As more days pass, someone will realize they haven’t heard back from their family, especially for the students who are here without their families, and their families are back home. I can definitely imagine it’s a tough time for them.