The family of a Filipino doctor, Juan Carlos Manalo, pleaded for help to locate the whereabouts of the 30-year-old physician, who was traveling with a group of pilgrims in Nepal when the catastrophic floods hit on Wednesday, leaving nearly 500 people killed as of Friday.
Chiara Manalo/FB
The search continues for a Filipino reported missing after the devastating mudslide and flash floods that struck Nepal and the Tibet border earlier this week, a Philippine envoy said Friday, as the number of missing individuals climbed to roughly 1,400.
Meanwhile, the family of a Filipino doctor, Juan Carlos Manalo, pleaded for help to locate the whereabouts of the 30-year-old physician, who was traveling with a group of pilgrims in Nepal when the catastrophic floods hit on Wednesday, leaving nearly 500 people killed as of writing.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to confirm whether Manalo is the sole Filipino missing in the incident.
Manalo and his companions were last seen at the Immigration Office in Gyirong County, Tibet, near the China-Nepal border, according to a Facebook post by his sister, Chiara Manalo. His family last heard from him on Tuesday at 1:21 p.m. Philippine time (11:06 a.m. Nepal time), and he has remained unreachable since.
Chiara said her brother was traveling with the Isha Sadhguru group on their Kailashyatra tour. The family is appealing to anyone with information regarding Manalo’s whereabouts to contact them at +63 917 302 3077 (Jose Rodrigo Manalo), +63 917 514 3465 (Dinah Marie Manalo), or +63 917 791 7849 (Chiara Manalo).
Consul General Maria Cynthia Pelayo of the Philippine Embassy in India said in a radio interview that they are still awaiting verified information from local authorities regarding the missing Filipino, while maintaining close coordination with the Nepalese authorities and the Filipino community there.
There are approximately 128 Filipinos residing in Nepal, mostly composed of women married to Nepali nationals, according to the DFA.
“Until now, we are still waiting for information about the missing Filipino, [who] was reported yesterday,” Pelayo said.
As of Friday, Pelayo said the embassy has not received reports of any other missing Filipinos beyond the case reported on Thursday. The majority of Filipinos in Nepal reside in Kathmandu, which is 60 to 80 kilometers from the disaster site.
Search and rescue operations are still ongoing, though access to the flash-flood-hit site remains challenging due to debris and the intensity of the flooding, she added.
A massive glacial collapse reportedly triggered the deadly flash floods in the Himalayan border region of Nepal and Tibet, plunging communities into mud that killed nearly 500 people. The death toll is expected to climb further as search and rescue operations continue.
Data from the Nepal Tourism Board on Thursday showed that one Filipino was among the 644 foreign travelers reported missing. The board added that the information was still being verified and cross-checked with travel agencies and local authorities.
According to Pelayo, the United States, India, and South Korea sent aid to Nepal to assist with rescue operations following reports that some of their nationals were reported missing in the area. The DFA, meanwhile, has yet to confirm whether the Philippines would join the rescue efforts.
