RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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A suburban family is clinging to hope as they search for their loved one who went missing in the catastrophic flash floods in Nepal on Wednesday.
Poonam Dilipkumar Thakkar, 42, left her home in Bartlett for Nepal last Thursday for a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to visit Mount Kailash.
She traveled to the region as part of a religious pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, which Hindus believe is the home of the god Shiva.
Thakkar checked in with her family from Hotel Kailash in Timure where she was staying Wednesday morning.
But the hotel is no longer standing, her family said.
Shortly after Thakkar's call home, massive flash floods swept through the border region between Nepal and China, wiping out communities and leaving thousands of people missing.
Her family hasn’t heard from her since.
Experts said the flash floods were caused by a glacial collapse. Nepal’s disaster agency said Saturday, the death toll had climbed to 669 with 2,426 people still missing . More than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal so far.
“We’re still trying to hold on to hope that she will be found, but it's very difficult seeing the amount of destruction that has happened in that region,” said Esha Sachdev, Thakkar’s niece.
Poonam Dilipkumar Thakkar with her family
Provided
Sachdev said the family has tried to reach government agencies and community groups who may be able to help search for Thakkar, who is a U.S. and Canadian citizen, but haven’t gotten many answers.
The U.S. Embassy in Nepal did not respond to a request for comment.
Nepali authorities said search-and-rescue teams continue to search for people in the affected areas.
Her family said Thakkar has always loved traveling and visiting new places. Her trip to Nepal was one she had wanted to take for years, and she traveled with an excursion group.
The travel agency said everyone in the group remains missing, including the guides.
“We have to depend on the government and abide by the protocol currently established,” said Sanket Pandey, managing director at Himalayan Glacier Adventure and Travel Company. “We're also keeping an eye on any new lists that get released of the rescued.”
Sanday said the company has an operational headquarters in Nepal, where the CEO and team leaders are in the region “overseeing all possible aid.”
Poonam Dilipkumar Thakkar (center) with her sisters
Provided
But for their family, waiting for answers is no longer enough, Sachdev said. That’s why her mother, Bhumika Sachdev, Thakkar’s oldest sister, plans to fly to Nepal on Sunday.
The family said they fear rescue teams will stop searching for survivors in the area where Thakkar went missing.
When she arrives, Bhumika Sachdev, 49, said she hopes to get in contact with organizations who will help her search for her sister.
“It's not just us,” she said. “There are other families who are suffering like this too, who cannot find the whereabouts of their friends and family. So it's just very disheartening right now.”
But the family said they won’t give up until she is found.
“We have hope that she will be found," her sister said. "She's somewhere."
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