‘We believe she’s still there’: Family searches for Bartlett woman missing in devastating Nepal flood

Family members of a Bartlett woman who went missing in last week’s massive flood in Nepal have been in Kathmandu since Monday, hoping to find her and bring her home safe.

Poonam Thakkar, 42, embarked Aug. 20 on a holy pilgrimage to Mount Kailash near Nepal’s border with Tibet. She was following in the footsteps of her oldest sister, Bhumika, who made the journey a year ago.

Now Bhumika and two cousins have traveled to Nepal to retrace the path Poonam was on when she vanished during the Aug. 26 flood, middle sister Gunjan said Wednesday.

“They intend to visit that impacted area because we believe she’s still there,” Gunjan said.

Their hope is strong, she added, because people have been found alive throughout the week since the flood — blamed on the collapse of a glacier in the Himalayas — despite the official death toll exceeding 1,100 as of Wednesday. Nearly 4,000 others remain missing.

Poonam left Chicago on Aug. 20 for an organized tour to the Tibet border that was to begin Aug. 23. Family members last spoke to her by phone the day before the flood.

“It was all casual, and she was just sharing how excited she was to be starting the pilgrimage,” Gunjan said. “She was enjoying every minute of it.”

Poonam has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Canada, having worked in Canada before joining her sisters and immediate family in Bartlett 7½ years ago, Gunjan said. Extended family also live in Chicago.

Poonam is a senior manager for one of the big four consulting firms and colleagues have reached out to the family with support, Gunjan said.

Bhumika had wanted to leave for Nepal the day after the flood, but authorities weren’t encouraging travelers that quickly. By the time the three family members left, securing a flight to Nepal was relatively easy.

For now, they are unable to travel beyond Kathmandu. But the family has been in touch with authorities — including from the U.S. and Canadian embassies — whose answers have been compassionate but standard, Gunjan said.

They’ve also met with others seeking missing loved ones. They have formed groups that meet each morning to divide up their shared tasks for the day and then collaborate over their findings, according to Gunjan.

While the part of the country they’re hoping to reach continues to be plagued by rain, mudslides and power issues, Kathmandu has been a relatively safe base to operate from, Gunjan said.

While the search for information — and Poonam herself — goes on, Gunjan asked those reading about her sister to hold positive thoughts and wishes for her safe return.

epeterson@dailyherald.com