Six South Africans Still Missing After Nepal Floods as DNA Profiles Sent for Identification
Six South African nationals remain unaccounted for more than two weeks after devastating floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border, with DNA profiles from their relatives sent to authorities to help identify recovered bodies.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said on Thursday that DNA profiles collected from the biological relatives of the missing South Africans had been sent to Nepalese police and Interpol in Kathmandu.
The process was coordinated by DIRCO and the South African Police Service’s Victim Identification Centre following a formal request from Nepal.
There has been no official confirmation of the whereabouts of the six South Africans from authorities in Nepal or China’s Tibet region. South African missions in New Delhi and Beijing are also engaging with the respective governments as search and identification efforts continue.
The six missing South Africans are:
- Surendranath Maharaj, 74, from Ladysmith
- Anitha Devi Maharaj, 67, from Ladysmith
- Vivaganathan Pillay, 66, from Ladysmith
- Janet Pillay, 56, from Ladysmith
- Terricia Govender, 33, from Isipingo Beach
- Bhavika Ramjee, 43, from the Eastern Cape
The Maharajs and the Pillays were travelling on the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route near the Nepal-Tibet border when the disaster struck on 26 August. Govender was reportedly at the Gyirong immigration office when the flooding occurred, while Ramjee was travelling between Timure and the Rasuwagadhi border.
The disaster followed a massive flood and mudslide in the region, with the Rasuwa district among the areas hardest hit. The floods destroyed villages, roads and bridges and swept away vehicles and infrastructure along the Nepal-Tibet route.
The disaster has since claimed more than 1,300 lives, while more than 5,000 people remain missing in Nepal and Tibet. The scale of the destruction has complicated search and identification efforts, with many recovered bodies severely damaged or difficult to identify visually.
DIRCO said it would continue monitoring developments and providing updates to the families of the six missing South Africans as information becomes available.
