Nepal earthquake: Families wait anxiously for news

By Patrice Dougan

NZ Herald·

30 Apr, 2015 05:00 PM4 mins to read

From left to right: Peter Joseph Curreen, Joshua Dane Kenyon, Peter Donald McLeod, Bradley 'Brad' James Robson, Doug Sealy, William Seymour-Jones.

Ministry and consulate follow up leads and work with Nepalese authorities to locate six New Zealanders.

Fears are growing for a number of New Zealanders still unaccounted for after Saturday's destructive earthquake in Nepal, with one Kiwi mother describing the wait for news as "horrible".

As the aid effort moves into its sixth day, Kiwi families with loved ones in Nepal are growing increasingly anxious about their safety. In the past few days, the number of missing has dropped as many have reached areas with telephone and internet access, or telecommunications have come back online.

However, a small number - believed to be six - have still not been heard from.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat) refused to confirm the number of New Zealanders still missing in Nepal, but said "only a few" were unaccounted for.

"The ministry is in regular contact with their family members. For privacy reasons we are not releasing details of individuals," the ministry said.

NZME. News Service has compiled a list of missing New Zealanders based on the Red Cross missing persons website Family Links, Google's Person Finder website, and by speaking to family members of those still unaccounted for.

Marie Grant, mother of one of those missing - Doug Sealy, 31, from Wellington - described the wait for news as "just horrible".

However, a recent credit card transaction on Mr Sealy's account had given her hope he was safe.

"Apparently his credit card was used on the 28th [Tuesday], so I'm hoping that he's going to be all right. I'm just hoping it wasn't when the transaction went through, it was actually when he used it."

Mr Sealy has been volunteering in India, and was forced to make a trip to Nepal in order to renew his visa, Ms Grant said. He was due to be in the Himalayan country when the earthquake struck.

Mr Sealy had not made contact with his family by last night. He did not have a phone with him in India, only a laptop that he was using to communicate via email and Facebook.

"He could be somewhere remote where there's no coverage for laptops or there might not be any power there, so I've just got to wait," his anxious mother said.

At the time of the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake, 99 New Zealanders were registered with the government travel website SafeTravel as being in Nepal.

Since then, the wellbeing of more than 260 New Zealanders in Nepal has been confirmed, Mfat said.

The ministry did not go into detail about what it was doing to help locate the missing New Zealanders, but said: "Consular staff are actively engaging with local authorities in Nepal and continue to follow up all leads being provided by families."

Airports were operating at "near normal" capacity, with New Zealanders continuing to leave on commercial flights, Mfat said.

Peter Gibbs, who runs the Nepalese Consulate in New Zealand, said he was hopeful all New Zealanders would be found.

"The hope is that they're all okay, and it's a matter of communication."

The consulate was "working closely" with Mfat to co-ordinate efforts, and the ministry had sent a couple of extra staff to Nepal to assist.

Aid and rescue helicopters were beginning to access the remote mountain villages in the Gorkha district, he said. It was possible some Kiwis could be in these villages, "but to be honest, we don't know".

However, he believed that "over the next two days we'll have a fuller picture".