Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Aug 30: More than 143 stranded citizens from Maharashtra have reached India safely by train and air, while 60 of the 404 tourists and pilgrims from the state who were in the Nepal-Tibet region remain untraceable following the devastating flash floods.
Authorities have established contact with several groups and facilitated their return. Thirty-seven people flew back to Mumbai on Saturday evening, while 102 others are scheduled to reach Nagpur at around 4.30 am on Sunday. Four people had already reached Nagpur on Saturday.
The Maharashtra government has been coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), district administrations and families to trace those who remain unaccounted for. Earlier reports had confirmed that contact had been established with 338 of the 404 people from Maharashtra identified as stranded in the region, with 37 being moved towards India.
The 60 people who remain untraceable had travelled to Nepal through Mumbai-based Richa Tours. Authorities have not yet been able to establish direct contact with the group.
Particular concern surrounds a group led by Mumbai-based doctor and experienced mountaineer Dr Milind Chitley. His group, comprising around 60 tourists, was at the Rasuwagadhi immigration centre near the Nepal-Tibet border when the flash floods struck.
Hills & Trails, co-founded by Chitley, and its Kathmandu-based partner Richa Treks issued a statement on Saturday regarding efforts to locate the missing group. Professor Charuhas Joshi of Hills & Trails and Sangay Gurung of Richa Treks also visited the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu to seek assistance with the rescue operation.
According to the agencies, the Indian Embassy assured them that the Nepalese Army would first provide information about rescued Indian nationals to the embassy, which would then pass the updates to families and tour operators.
The agencies said that as of 5 pm on Saturday, they had received no information about any Indian national being rescued or evacuated from the Rasuwagadhi immigration site.
The group was at the immigration centre when the flash flood hit the area. Around 644 people, including 517 foreign nationals and 127 Nepali citizens, were reportedly present at the site at the time.
Reports from other sources have also identified Dr Chitley and members of his group among those still missing. Chitley, a veteran mountaineer with decades of experience in the Himalayas, was leading a Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage group when communication was lost after the disaster.
Meanwhile, a Mantralaya official said the state government had received a list of 149 people from different parts of India who were in the affected region.
“We have also received a list of 149 people from across India – some of them are from Maharashtra. We are verifying their details with respective districts. If they remain untraceable, the numbers in that category will escalate,” the official said.
The MEA had earlier shared a list of 149 Indians who were reported safe in the China-Tibet region with the Maharashtra government. The list was subsequently forwarded to district collectors for identification and further coordination.
Another group of 45 people reached Ayodhya on Saturday after being stranded in Chitwan. The group included tourists from Nashik, Pune, Mumbai and Ahilyanagar.
“They were brought to Ayodhya via Lumbini as the roads towards Kathmandu were blocked due to flash floods. They will make the onward journeys to their respective cities by train from Ayodhya,” an official said.
Earlier, more than 100 Maharashtra pilgrims stranded in Nepal were also evacuated through Bihar and were facilitated to return home by train.
The State Disaster Management Cell has meanwhile received information about eight additional tourists and pilgrims from Borivali and Andheri with whom contact could not be established because communication services were disrupted.
Officials said they were compiling information about stranded Maharashtra residents based on details provided by tourists and their relatives.
“There may be people who have not informed us or the authorities yet; but the number is not expected to be high and there is no need to worry about them as they are presumed to be safe,” an official said.
Families worried about missing relatives have been asked to contact the Indian Embassy’s 24-hour helplines in Nepal for information.
The helpline numbers are +977 9851316807, +977 9709107500 and +977 9810326117.
The devastating flash floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border region on August 26, causing widespread destruction and cutting off roads, bridges and communication networks. Rescue operations have been complicated by difficult terrain, damaged infrastructure and poor weather.
The disaster has affected tourists and pilgrims from several countries, with hundreds of foreign nationals among those reported missing. Nepalese authorities and international teams are continuing search and rescue operations in the worst-hit areas.