Nepal Floods: Six from SA still missing as other pilgrims return
Nepal Floods have left six South Africans missing, while nine pilgrims return home after escaping the disaster by days.
After the Nepal floods, nine South African pilgrims who narrowly escaped the ordeal arrived home this weekend, while six others remain missing after the disaster near the Nepal-Tibet border.
The disaster struck on 26 August 2026 after a massive surge of water and debris swept through communities in Nepal’s Rasuwa district. Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed the Bhote Koshi River flood caused extensive loss of life and property.
SABC News reported that Sulosh Pillay and her daughter, Dr Keshni Pillay, arrived at King Shaka International Airport in Durban on Wednesday. Seven other members of their group arrived in Johannesburg.
The group travelled with the Mohanji Foundation South Africa on a spiritual pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. They crossed the affected area shortly before the floods struck.
Pillay described their return as bittersweet. She said they were grateful to have survived, but remained deeply concerned about those who had not returned.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE NEPAL FLOODS?
The Nepal Floods devastated roads, bridges, buildings and villages along the mountain valleys. The disaster also cut access to areas used by pilgrims travelling towards Mount Kailash.
Reuters reported on 3 September that more than 1,200 people had died. The disaster also left thousands missing and destroyed much of the infrastructure around the Trishuli River valley, a Reuters report stated.
For the Pillays, the destruction carried a personal weight. Keshni said they had walked through some of the affected villages only two days before the floods.
She also recalled the Nepalese residents who opened their homes, shared food and helped travellers reach safety. Seeing those communities destroyed was difficult for the returning pilgrims to process.
SIX SOUTH AFRICANS ARE STILL MISSING
The six missing South Africans include two couples from Ladysmith, Surendranath and Anitha Devi Maharaj, and Vivaganathan and Janet Pillay. Bavika Ramjee from the Eastern Cape and Terricia Govender, 33, are also still missing.
Govender, a data analyst from KwaZulu-Natal, was travelling on a Mount Kailash pilgrimage when the flood struck. She was reportedly at the Gyirong Immigration Office when floodwaters swept through the area.
Her mother, Linda Govender, travelled to Nepal this week to be closer to the search for her daughter. She said she wanted to help find Terricia and bring her home.
The Nepal Floods have left families across several countries waiting for answers. For the nine South Africans who have returned, relief now sits beside grief and uncertainty.
Their journey home is therefore not a simple ending. Six families are still waiting for the phone call that could change everything.