Star Metro - In London, son's agonising wait for news of parents missing in Nepal-Tibet floods

The 22-year-old's parents, Kavitha and Pavan Haldia, were part of a group of 16 members of a Hindu temple in south London who were on an organized trip when the tsunami-like disaster happened on Wednesday.

"We get a call every day from a foreign office, but they don't really have any news," Haldia told AFP on Saturday.

The group belong to the Sanatan Mandir and Community Centre in Coulsdon.

A priest, Nabhi Nandan Das, was among the pilgrims, who were due to visit the sacred Hindu site of Mount Kailash, according to a spokesperson for the temple.

Haldia learned of the floods from media reports around midday on Wednesday and immediately tried to call his parents.

"Obviously the ringing tone didn't even come up. It was just straight to voicemail", he recalled.

Haldia described checking where his parents were located.

"Slowly, obviously the picture came together that they were supposed to be in the same area where like exactly where it hit," he described.

"We know that they had left for the border crossing at Gyirong in the morning, and there's been no contact from them since they reached at least the Nepalese side of the border crossing, and they're on their way into China or Tibet"," Haldia explained.

- 33 Britons missing -

Four days after the disaster, the young man still has "no news at all".

According to the Nepal Tourism Board, 33 British nationals are among the hundreds of foreigners reported missing.

"Obviously, I understand it's hard to get information out of that area because of obviously the destruction ... (and) all the people are focused on the rescue.

"It's just been very difficult", he added, still in shock.

Haldia has been speaking to the relatives of other people missing from the same group.

"Obviously it's quite hard, but the whole community has been incredibly supportive".

"It's just I guess trying to stay positive, everyone together," he said.

Unlike other relatives of the missing, Prajval does not plan to travel to the region at this stage, preferring to "stay contactable".

"I'm the only child, the only next of kin really in the family," Haldia told AFP.

"Spending hours on a plane at the moment in the situation, I don't think is the (right) move because it's so early on."

He also worries about feeling useless on the ground and even making the rescue effort "more problematic".

"I'm not a rescuer. I can't really contribute to that effort in any way.

"I think the focus should obviously be on rescuing as many people as possible from this disaster", he added, hoping that his parents will be found safe and sound.

K.Morrison--SMC