'Mum and Dad are still missing after the flooding in the Himalayas'

Prajval Haldia has has not heard from his parents, Pavan and Kavita, since the devastating floods in the Himalayas two weeks ago.

The last he heard they were enjoying their trip to the mountain range, and were last known to be at Gyirong Port, on the Tibet-Nepal border, on the way to Mount Kailash with a tour group.

Since the devastating floods surged through the area on 26 August, messages from both have stopped, and Prajval has not heard anything of their whereabouts since.

"I think it gets harder to stay positive day by day but we're just trying to keep hope. Maybe no news is good news," said Prajval, who is from Petts Wood in south-east London.

More than 1,300 people were killed in the floods triggered by a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border, with 5,000 still missing including more than 30 British nationals.

Prajval has been in close contact with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office but as yet, there is no information on his parents.

"I think the first instinct was obviously for me to go out there and try and do what I can," Prajval explained.

"But, talking to people, talking to the Foreign Office and everyone, I think it's me as someone with no rescue experience or anything like that, I think I'll just create more of a hassle by going out there.

"I think there's very experienced people there, doing very important work. I think it's important to have faith in them to do that job," he added.

Prajval said his parents' pilgrimage had been in the planning "for a while".

"My mum has really wanted to visit this part of the world for a long time, ever since she's seen pictures of it in school textbooks."

He explained that for his parents, "the natural beauty of being in the mountains was also very important".

Prajval said his cousins living nearby have been a "massive support", adding that some more family from India were on the way.

He said he was also receiving support from neighbours and people in the Hindu community.

The local temple, the Sanatan Mandir temple in Coulsdon, has been a place of comfort in recent days.

Sixteen people from the congregation were on a separate pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, and are also missing.

Each evening, prayer services are being held for those missing and for the families affected.

Hearing the songs being played, Prajval said it reminded him of his mum.

"It's a sense of comfort, like it's a similar thing that I'm used to hearing at home," he said.

Sachin Bagla, the manager of the temple, said the mood there was "very sad".

"People are constantly praying and hoping," he explained.

"We know that with every passing day, every passing hour, it becomes more and more difficult. But people are staying together, keeping the faith, and praying to God, offering support in whatever ways they can, especially to the family members."

Bagla explained that the community was also trying to find any practical way to offer support, with fundraisers being launched and volunteers travelling out to the region to help.

Sachin explained that the affected families were being given support by the Foreign Office, and said at the temple "we just pray [for good news] until we are told otherwise".

He added: "We want to stay positive, we want to stay faithful. Keeping our faith in God is very, very important for this community of British Hindus that we are."

He said of those missing in the Himalayas: "We just pray for the people and for God to look after them, wherever they are."

Additional reporting from Thomas Magill and Wendy Hurrell

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