Student begs tech firms for help finding missing partner

An Australian medical student is appealing to major technology companies to release location data to help find her partner, Rishab Iyer, and his family, who went missing during recent floods in Nepal. Sarada Viswanathan, based in Sydney, has been unable to obtain crucial information from firms such as Apple, Optus, and Life360 due to privacy concerns.

The disaster, which occurred on August 26, has resulted in over 1,200 fatalities, with more than 4,200 individuals still missing. Among the missing are hundreds of foreign nationals and 38 Australians. Iyer, a final-year medical student, was on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash with his parents and brother when the glacier collapse triggered the destructive floods.

Viswanathan last heard from Iyer on the morning of August 26. His family's last known location was near their hotel close to the Nepal-Tibet border, approximately 30 minutes before the disaster struck. While some data has been obtained for individuals with local phone numbers, those with Australian numbers have faced significant hurdles.

Australia has committed resources to the rescue efforts, including drone specialists and defense personnel, and has pledged to share telecommunications data with Nepali authorities. However, Viswanathan stresses that any delay could be critical in a situation where survival chances diminish rapidly. She vows to continue her search for answers until her partner and his family are found.