A month after Nepal tragedy, daughter of missing Latvian couple shares raw reflection

A month has passed since floods in Nepal left 33 Latvian nationals missing, among them Agnese and Raimonds Fūrmanis. Their daughter, Klaudija Fūrmane, marked the anniversary with a personal post on Instagram describing her conflicting emotions since losing her parents.

Klaudija writes that intellectually she can accept the idea that nothing in life happens by chance, yet emotionally she still struggles to come to terms with what happened. She says the past month has brought a whole range of feelings — sadness, anger, denial, and even gratitude for being alive herself.

Life as a gift

She writes that the experience has taught her to see everyday things differently — meeting people, listening to music, tasting food, and witnessing nature's beauty, things that once seemed ordinary until they suddenly weren't. Klaudija expresses deep gratitude to her parents for giving her life and says she will carry them with her going forward. She also thanked everyone who has supported her with kind words or presence during this time.

Charity effort to support families

To provide practical support to affected families, a charity initiative called "Over the Mountains – To Our Own" is being organized. Starting October 13, a charity exhibition and art auction will be held at the Spice shopping center in Riga, alongside a virtual auction catalog available online.

The initiative is organized by Andris Taranda, brother of missing Agnese Fūrmane, together with Ieva Taranda and Māra Andersone-Freimane. More than 30 artists have offered support, including Ieva Taranda, Elita Patmalniece, Kristīne Luīze Avotiņa, and Sabīne Līva. All proceeds from the auction will go entirely toward supporting the relatives of those missing in Nepal. A closing event on November 1 will announce the total amount raised.