‘His loss has changed everything’: Partner of Aussie killed in Nepal floods to attend sacred ritual in his honour
The partner of an Australian killed in Nepal’s devastating flash flooding has issued a heartbreaking update, as the search for thousands missing continues.
The heartbroken partner of an Australian man killed in the Nepal floods has been invited to India to attend a sacred ritual honouring him.
Michael Keats, from the NSW South Coast, had reached the Nepal-Tibet border with a travel group moments before disaster struck.
His family first thought he was safe, however, quickly learned he was unaccounted for.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Unfortunately, it was confirmed relatively quickly by the Isha Foundation that Michael and his Kailash travel group had arrived at Gyirong Port on the Nepal-Tibet border just 10 minutes before the tragic floods hit,” his family said in a statement.
His partner, yoga instructor Emily Boyd, said Mr Keats was an incredibly important part of her family.
“He was … my young son’s stepfather, … he was the only father he has ever known. His loss has changed everything for both of us,” she said on GoFundMe.
“We are trying to navigate the shock and grief of losing someone we love deeply, while also suddenly having to face life without the person who was such an important part of our family and our household.”
Ms Boyd has been invited to take part in a sacred Sadhguru yoga and spiritual ritual to honour Mr Keats in India and has set up a fundraiser to make the journey.
“For us, this journey carries deep spiritual meaning, and being able to participate would mean so much during this incredibly difficult time,” she said.
Forty-three Australians missing in Nepal
The number of Australians missing after the devastating Nepal flash floods has risen again overnight to 43 as the desperate search continues for the thousands of people still unaccounted for.
Nearly 800 people have been confirmed dead and an estimated 3000 people remain missing after the catastrophic flooding on Wednesday.
Foreign Affairs Assistant Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said authorities remained hopeful of rescuing the 43 Australians still unaccounted for and returning them home safely.
“Our embassy staff in Kathmandu are working around the clock, and we’ve actually sent an additional 12 personnel to Kathmandu to assist,” Mr Thistlethwaite said.
“Yesterday, our ambassador in Kathmandu spent most of the day sitting with and talking to the relatives of Australians who are in the region, hoping their loved ones will be returned safely. So we’re doing everything we can to try and locate them.”
The identities of the 35 missing Australians initially reported missing were published by Nepalese authorities last week.
One of those people, solo traveller Cara Severino, 26, has been found safe and sound so far.
The Trekkers’ Society (Isha Foundation)
A group of 11 Australians linked to the Isha Foundation, a non-profit organisation with origins in yoga and Hinduism, were believed to be inside an immigration building at the Nepal-Tibet border crossing with guides from The Trekkers’ Society when the flood struck.
The Australians, which include Sydney engineer and father-of-two Bharat Mangwani and Sunshine Coast disability worker Renee Spry, were among a multinational group of 92 pilgrims.
Alongside them were Epping-based Sydney couple Uday and Kripa Shivamurthy.
On Sunday, The Trekkers Society staff took a helicopter ride over the site where their tour group was last seen.
“The helicopter could not land in the affected area because of the difficult conditions,” a spokesman said.
Trekkers Society staff have flown over the wreckage of the Nepal-Tibet border in an effort to locate a missing tour group which includes 11 Australians
“Therefore, the team carried out aerial surveillance from the helicopter to check the area around the Nepal side of the Nepal-China immigration border. We are continuing our efforts to collect clear and verified information about the situation.”
Himalayan Glacier
Fifteen Australians were on their way to Mount Kailash in Tibet as part of a pilgrimage with the Himalayan Glacier tour group.
Sridharan Iyer and his wife Lakshmi, from Cherrybrook in Sydney’s north, were travelling with their two sons Rudhra, 20, and Rishabh, 23, when their family lost contact with them.
Four members of the Muralitharan family – brothers Ashwin and Aarush Muralitharan, aged 11 and 14, and their parents Shylaja and Chandrasekaran – were also with the group at the time contact was lost.
A Himalayan Glacier spokesman told NewsWire on Monday morning there had been no news of any Australians from the group being found.
Kailash Journeys
A group of six Australians joined 26 international travellers and five Nepali guides to begin their pilgrimage to Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash when tour operator Kailash Journeys lost contact with them.
Among the group were Queensland woman Kanagamah Sundrasan and Melbourne couple Siddharthi Kumari Sahu and Sandeep Mohapatra.
Kailash Journeys posted an image of the tour group on Sunday, appealing to the public for assistance in locating them.
“Following the devastating flash flood, we have been unable to reach this group and are working urgently with local authorities and rescue teams to establish their whereabouts,” a spokesman said.
Solo travellers and other organisations
Ms Serevino is the only Australian to have been located alive so far.
In a statement, Ms Severino’s parents Debbie and Frank thanked the Australian consulate staff for finding her, while offering prayers for the thousands caught up in the disaster.
“Seeing Cara’s name appear on my message bank, hearing her voice and now seeing her photo and speaking with her has been the most miraculous gift,” they said in statement.
“We are incredibly thankful to the Australian Consular Response teams for locating her bringing her to safety and for the care they are giving her and all the amazing work they are doing to locate others.
“We are so grateful to her Nepalese hiking partners who saw her through a harrowing several days of hiking in very difficult terrain, so thankful that they have all made it to safety.”
Brisbane-based early childhood professional Narayan Panthi is the only Australian to have been travelling with Kathmandu Holiday.
Mr Panthi was livestreaming on the day of the flood, and just one day earlier he posted on Facebook about his excitement for the journey ahead.
“Considering ‘Live in the Present’ as the main mantra for the next 9 days, I will try to enjoy nature, culture and spiritual pleasure as much as possible,” he said.
