Source : Perth Now news
A month after Umesh and Krishna Sharma were caught up in Nepal’s catastrophic floods, their sons are still praying they will somehow come home.
For Chitrak Sharma and his younger brother, the weeks since the August 26 disaster have been defined by hope, dread and unanswered questions as they wait for news of their parents.
“The past month has been unimaginably agonising,” Mr Sharma told NewsWire.
“Not knowing the circumstances of where they are, how they are, whether they survived the day, how long they may have waited to be rescued, whether they’re still waiting, whether they’re still with us.
“My younger brother and I have never gone more than two weeks without seeing our parents.
“For one month, our family has been unsure how to process this because we don’t know if there’s anything to process at all.”
Umesh and Krishna are among 34 Australians who remain unaccounted for following the devastating floods in Nepal and Tibet, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Official DFAT figures show 1451 people have died and 5705 remain missing in Nepal, while China has confirmed 43 deaths and 519 people missing.
Neither country has confirmed any Australians among the dead.
Despite the passing weeks, the Sharmas have not abandoned hope.
“We’re still praying every day for a miracle,” Chitrak said.
Central to that hope is one unresolved detail the family says it was told by Australian authorities: that Ms Sharma’s phone showed activity on August 27, one day after the floods.
Chitrak said DFAT and the Australian Federal Police told the family about the activity, but they had not been given details about what kind of activity occurred, its exact time or where it was detected.
“The phone having activity after the flood is maybe the only sign of life for any Australian who was in the flood zone, and several other Aussie victims’ families are hoping that my mum’s phone activity leads to something,” he said.
The family has known about the reported activity for almost three weeks.
“First and foremost, we beg them to provide us with the details of my mum’s phone activity on the 27th,” Chitrak said.
“All the families are eagerly waiting and praying that this turns into a lead which can perhaps bring some closure, for better or worse.”
Chitrak said he had also approached his mother’s telecommunications provider but was told he was not the registered account holder for the mobile number.
NewsWire has put further questions to DFAT and the AFP about the reported phone activity, including what type of activity occurred, whether its time and location were known and how the information had been used.
Chitrak said his family had also been told local authorities conducted foot searches along river corridors and other affected areas but wanted more detail about what had been searched and how information they provided had been used.
“We haven’t been told how the information we’ve provided such as last location, car tracking, and car number plates has been used by authorities to search for the missing Australians, if at all,” he said.
“I feel we have not been kept adequately informed.”
He said vehicle tracking data suggested his parents were travelling with other Australians and were last known to be about 1.5km north of their hotel in Syabrubesi.
Chitrak said his family had been unable to travel to the area themselves after being told it remained inaccessible to civilians.
He believes searches should include high-altitude villages including Briddhim and Khangjim, arguing the group could have left their vehicles and moved towards higher ground.
The family also wants authorities to pursue available telecommunications and device-location information.
“This lack of effective communication and co-ordination between international authorities has greatly contributed to the agony of families and the uncertainty about the condition of their loved ones,” Chitrak said.
DFAT said dedicated consular officers and AFP family liaison officers had been allocated to each next-of-kin shortly after the disaster and remained in close contact with affected families.
“We recognise this is a deeply distressing period for families and loved ones,” a department spokesperson said.
“The Australian government remains committed to supporting their welfare and ensuring they receive accurate and timely information.”
The department said Australian officials would continue sharing developments from authorities in Nepal and China directly with affected families.
The Australian government had passed location data to authorities and worked with Australian telecommunications companies to retrieve location information, the spokesperson said.
Australia’s response has included consular officers, AFP personnel, social workers, Defence, National Emergency Management Australia, search and rescue specialists and Australia Assists personnel.
Specialist AFP Disaster Victim Identification personnel and drone operators from Australia’s Disaster Assistance Response Team have now ended their deployments.
Nepali authorities are continuing to collect and analyse DNA samples to identify victims, with the AFP supporting the process using samples provided by relatives in Australia.
The Australian government has committed $11m to disaster response and recovery efforts, while Australians have donated more than $16m to appeals by the Emergency Action Alliance, Red Cross and other major non-government organisations.
Chitrak said affected families would also need support beyond the immediate search, including financial, legal and immigration assistance depending on their circumstances.
“There are families whose parents are missing and were the primary earners of the house,” he said.
“People in extremely difficult circumstances like this need support from the government at this time.”
The Sharma family’s calls have been echoed by supporters campaigning for the Australians still missing.
Tiara De Silva, a Sydney human rights advocate who launched a petition calling for greater Australian assistance after the disaster, said more than 15,000 people had signed the campaign.
“Right now, families need two things: answers and action,” Ms De Silva said.
“That means expanding the search into denser and forested areas where people may have been swept, with drones and specialist teams on the ground.
“It also means ongoing forensic and DNA support so anyone recovered can be identified and returned to their families.”
For Chitrak, the month-long search remains painfully personal.
He described his mother, who has worked in childcare for almost 15 years, and his father as caring people who were integral members of their community.
“My parents are the kindest, purest, most caring and loving humans and parents,” he said.
“They’re an integral part of the community and true Australians who lived by generosity, inclusivity and giving back to the community.”
A month after they disappeared, their son is still waiting.
“I request my fellow Australians to keep them in their prayers,” he said.
