Mother waits for news from New Orleans

Last updated at 09:19 02 September 2005


A British mother is desperately waiting for news of her son, who has not contacted her since the day Hurricane Katrina struck.

Mark Hashmy, 36, sent his mother a text message from New Orleans on Monday describing the horrific devastation wreaked by the storm.

He wrote: "Disaster area, no power for weeks, freeway flooded and blocked, and they can't fix.

"No shops, no food, no petrol, no nothing! Army helicopters everywhere. We are isolated."

But Gloria Hashmy, of Kingsbridge, south Devon, has heard nothing from her son since and is now becoming increasingly worried.

She told the Western Morning News: "I have tried and tried and tried. I just want to know whether he has managed to get out.

"I'm in absolute turmoil and I'm not going to know anything till God knows when."

Mr Hashmy, who moved to New Orleans about four years ago to work on maintaining superyachts, told his mother he planned to stay in the city.

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