Hope publicity will spark breakthrough

Police are hoping a public appeal for information about a man who went missing from Palmerston North more than six weeks ago will help them solve the mystery of his disappearance.

Bir Bahadur Poudel, 69, lives with his son Gopal Poudyel on John F Kennedy Dr, Palmerston North. He left his house at 8.30am on October 23 and hasn’t been seen since.

A bus driver believes she may have picked Poudel up from central Palmerston North. She said she remembered it because he did not get off at his normal stop in Milson, instead travelling to Feilding.

The case featured on Police Ten 7 on Thursday last week and a police spokeswoman said it had received about 10 reports with information since.

The information was being assessed as part of the police investigation.

‘‘We remain hopeful that Mr Poudel is in our community, possibly with people in our Bhutanese community. Our priority is to ensure he is safe and well, and we can return him to his family,’’ the spokeswoman said.

Poudel was wearing a red, white and blue beanie, and a black turtleneck and light grey pants.

He had been taking English classes for about three years, but struggled to understand sentences.

Police have searched the Milson area, particularly by the Mangaone Stream, where Poudel was known to walk, and Feilding parks and reserves.

Volunteers have distributed 50,000 flyers seeking information and have searched most of the parks, reserves and farmland around Palmerston North and surrounding suburbs.

Anyone with information can contact police on 105.