Durban Mother Returns Home After Two-Week Search for Daughter Missing in Nepal Floods

Linda Govender, a mother from Durban, has returned to South Africa after spending about two weeks in Nepal searching for her daughter, Terricia, who went missing during the devastating floods near the Nepal-Tibet border on 26 August 2026. Despite her return, Govender emphasises that the search for Terricia will continue.

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Terricia Govender, 33, was part of a pilgrimage group organised by the Isha Foundation and was travelling on the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra. The family believes she was at or near the Gyirong immigration office on the Tibet side of the border when the catastrophic ice-rock avalanche triggered a massive debris flow and flood along the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli-Narayani river corridor.

Nepal’s National Society for Earthquake Technology described the event as a large-scale ice-rock avalanche that transformed into a multi-hazard flood emergency, causing widespread destruction across several districts. Official figures from Nepal’s disaster management authority indicate that as of mid-September, approximately 1,395 people had died and over 5,000 remained missing. Another report cited 1,403 bodies recovered and more than 6,000 missing, reflecting ongoing recovery efforts.

Linda Govender and her team conducted extensive searches in accessible disaster zones, hospitals, and medical camps in Nepal. They also sought permission from Chinese and Tibetan authorities to access the restricted Tibet-side areas where Terricia was last believed to be. The family has appealed for a photographic database of belongings recovered from the disaster zone to help identify missing persons, including Terricia, but to date, no official response has been received from the Chinese government.

South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed on 10 September that six South African nationals, including Terricia, were still unaccounted for. DIRCO has coordinated DNA sample collection from relatives and sent profiles to Nepalese police and Interpol in Kathmandu as part of identification efforts. Diplomatic missions in New Delhi and Beijing continue to liaise with local authorities, but no official confirmation regarding the missing South Africans has been received.

Govender described the search as physically and emotionally exhausting, noting the support she received from Nepalese locals and the wider public. She remains hopeful that Terricia may be found alive, possibly in a hospital or medical camp, and is committed to continuing the search when new information or access is granted. Her brother and Terricia’s close friend accompanied her during the search, and they found symbolic signs encouraging them not to lose hope.

The precise circumstances of Terricia’s last known location and her status remain unconfirmed by official sources. The family continues to navigate complex diplomatic and logistical challenges in their efforts to locate her amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by the floods.