When the earth shook near the Nepal-China border last Wednesday morning, few could have predicted the catastrophic chain of events that would unfold. A magnitude 5.2 seismic event triggered flash floods that thundered down mountain valleys, obliterating villages and leaving more than 3,000 people missing—including 33 British nationals. Among those unaccounted for are two sisters who had embarked on a pilgrimage they had spent months planning.
Tulshi Patel, a pharmacist from Milton Keynes, has spent the days since the disaster desperately searching for her mother and aunt. Her method of tracing them was, in its own way, as modern as the catastrophe itself.
A TikTok Lead in the Aftermath
Patel told LBC’s Matt Frei that she and her family had conducted their own investigation after conventional channels failed to yield answers. Their breakthrough came through an unexpected source: a TikTok video posted by a local Nepali tour guide.
“They were supposed to have crossed the border on Tuesday, but due to weather conditions—or whichever it was—they got delayed and unfortunately crossed over on Wednesday,” Patel explained.
The video, timestamped to Wednesday morning just before 6am Nepal time, showed Patel’s mother Hemangini Jitendra Patel and aunt Hema Sunil Amin waiting at Friendship Bridge on the Nepal-China border alongside three other tour participants. GPS data from the tour group corroborated their last known position at this crossing point—a crossing that would prove fatal as floodwaters swept through the region less than three hours later.
The two women had been planning the journey since the start of the year. It was, Patel said, “on their bucket list.”
A Catalogue of Missing Brits
The scale of the British involvement in this tragedy is becoming clearer. Among those unaccounted for are NHS workers, a priest, and a 13-year-old child. A UK government team is expected to arrive in Kathmandu on Saturday to assist with consular efforts.
Neetu Goyal Tiwari, 51, was completing what her family described as her “dream trip” to Kailash Mansarovar—a revered high-altitude pilgrimage site in Tibet sacred to Hindus and Buddhists—when disaster struck. Her brother Naresh Goyal, speaking from India where much of the family is based, said they have been frantically phoning contacts in Nepal, though they increasingly believe she may still be in Chinese territory.
“The situation is incredibly difficult,” Goyal said. “We’re not sure what the next second holds. She was a very fun-loving woman and really had a great heart. I really hope she comes back soon.”
The family faces additional bureaucratic hurdles. As many relatives are based in India rather than Britain, obtaining visas to join search efforts has proven complicated.
Leena Bector, 53, from Slough, was among 27 travellers unaccounted for. Her husband Bhupesh Bector told The Times he was booking the next available flight to Kathmandu after the Home Office failed to confirm whether she appeared on their missing persons list.
“Even if they find her today or tomorrow, I need to be there,” he said. “She must be in trauma.”
The Search Continues
Patel said she has messaged the tour guide repeatedly, hoping he might have mobile signal in the remote region. Every day, the family makes WhatsApp calls that go unanswered.
“We’ve not given up, but from our end, all we can do is research,” she said. “We just need eyes and ears there to basically get them out. Get all of them out and safe.”
The family initially considered travelling to Nepal themselves but concluded they did not know how close they could get to the affected region or whether they could meaningfully assist.
“They’d gone on walks regularly, they were looking forward to it,” Patel added. “Their positive viewpoints, health, mental health was great and they were very strong and positive about everything.”
Why it Matters
This disaster exposes the terrifying intersection of natural catastrophe and modern connectivity—where a TikTok video becomes a vital piece of evidence and WhatsApp calls represent the thinnest thread connecting families to their missing loved ones. The 33 British nationals unaccounted for represent not just statistics but mothers, daughters, and pilgrims whose journeys ended in catastrophe on the other side of the world. For their families, the bureaucratic machinery of consular assistance cannot move fast enough against the raw human need for answers. As rescue operations continue and the death toll rises, the pressure on both the Nepali and Chinese governments to coordinate an effective search—across one of the world’s most remote and hostile terrains—has never been greater.
