Port Moody couple missing after Nepal-Tibet border mudslide

Dhaval and Megha Shah of Port Moody remain missing after a major mudslide struck the border region between Nepal and Tibet. Their daughter, Richa Shah, says the couple had been travelling with a tour group that included close friends from Coquitlam; nobody in the group has been heard from since the disaster.

Dhaval Shah, 52, is a marine consultant pursuing a PhD, while Megha Shah, 50, works as a finance and logistics manager with the City of Vancouver. Richa said her father sent photos and tried to call her about two hours before the flooding, but she was unable to answer.

Richa said she spent a week seeking information from Global Affairs Canada and was not contacted until the sixth day after the catastrophe. A staff member was assigned to her parents' case Tuesday, but she said the response came too late as conditions around the lake may continue to pose flooding risks.

She said the federal government intends to request DNA from families of the missing, but she had not been told how it would be collected. Richa is also urging governments to explore geolocation options, noting that her father had an Apple Watch.

While acknowledging the difficult and chaotic conditions in the disaster area, Richa said affected families need better communication and support. She said she has begun to accept that her parents may never be found, but remains frustrated by what she describes as delays in Canada's response.