Remembering those lost and still missing

CANDLES glowed in the darkness of the Civic Green on Wednesday night as crowds gathered to pay their respects and remember those lost and still missing following the devastating floods in Nepal.

Deepesh Baskota leads the candlelight vigil on the Civic Green.

As rescue efforts continue across the flood-ravaged areas of Nepal and China, Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported on Tuesday that 987 deaths had been counted in the country, with almost 4000 people still missing, including over 580 foreigners.

President of the Warrnambool Nepalese Community Deepesh Baskota this week spoke of the heartbreak felt by so many in the community, and expressed his gratitude to the wider Warrnambool community for its support.

“We may be thousands of kilometres away from Nepal but tonight we stand together as one to remember those who have lost their lives, those who are still missing and families who have been torn apart,” he said at Wednesday night’s vigil.

“Thank you all for standing together with us tonight. We are showing that compassion has no distance, no culture and no religion. We may be here in Warrnambool but our hearts and our families are in Nepal.”

Deepesh and his wife, Nikita Pokharel, came to Warrnambool from Kathmandu in 2013 and have since welcomed two children (now aged five and two).

“We love living in Warrnambool and we have a wonderful life here but tonight our hearts are in Nepal,” Deepesh said.

“We are very fortunate that our family and friends are fine but many others are not so lucky.

“A gentleman who is a tenant at my wife’s rental property works on the border of Cupid and Nepal and he is still missing. Sadly, his story is not unique; so many are still unaccounted for.”

Deepesh said that while floods are a part of life in Nepal, no-one expected this most recent incident to be on such a large scale, or cause so much devastation.

“The people of Nepal are used to flooding but never before have they seen it so widespread,” he said.

“They (floods) usually only impact those living close to the rivers; it took many people by surprise and has had such a devastating effect on thousands of people.”

In the cold air of Wednesday night, those who gathered on the Civic Green stood as one; a minute’s silence observed as candles flickered in the darkness.