Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai
Chennai, Aug 30: At least 219 of the 319 Tamil Nadu residents stranded in flood-ravaged Nepal have been rescued, while efforts are underway to trace the remaining 100, Minister Rajmohan said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters at Chennai airport after returning from New Delhi, Rajmohan said the rescued residents were being brought back to Tamil Nadu in batches.
Thirty-three people are scheduled to arrive in Coimbatore on a flight from Delhi on Monday evening, while another six are expected to reach Chennai later that night.
The minister said the Tamil Nadu government was coordinating with the Centre, Indian diplomatic officials and rescue agencies in Nepal to establish the whereabouts of those who remain untraced.
Among those affected was a 57-member group that travelled through a Kumbakonam-based travel agency. Twenty-one members of the group have been rescued and brought safely to Chennai, while rescue teams are continuing efforts to trace the remaining 36.
The government is also awaiting information on 49 residents from Chromepet who travelled as part of the Mahadevi Yatra group. Their present location has not yet been confirmed.
Rajmohan said another group of 150 Tamil Nadu residents had reached Kathmandu through the China border and was returning to India on different flights.
An additional 39 people have also been confirmed safe, he said.
Describing the floods as a disaster of international magnitude, the minister said the extensive destruction and difficult terrain were hampering rescue and identification efforts.
Bodies and personal belongings could have been carried hundreds of kilometres away from the worst-affected areas, making the search operation particularly challenging, he said.
Military personnel and rescue agencies from both India and Nepal have been deployed in the affected regions. However, damaged roads, disrupted communication networks and severe weather conditions have complicated efforts to reach several locations.
War room set up in Delhi
A dedicated war room has been established at Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi to coordinate the rescue operation, gather information about stranded residents and assist their families.
State officials are maintaining regular contact with the Union government and other authorities involved in the rescue mission.
Four Tamil Nadu ministers had travelled to New Delhi to supervise the coordination efforts. Three of them have returned to Chennai, while Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Minister K. Thennarasu has remained in Delhi to monitor the rescue operation and facilitate the safe return of the remaining residents.