Kathmandu [Nepal], August 27 (ANI): As rescue and relief operations continue across Nepal, teams have successfully evacuated dozens of survivors to safety. However, hundreds of Indian nationals are still reported missing, leaving their families deeply worried and seeking urgent assistance. The families have appealed to the Central government to step up efforts and provide immediate support in tracing their loved ones.
The death toll climbed to 359 as of 6:20 PM, according to the latest "Rasuwa Bhotekoshi Flood Search, Rescue and Relief Update" issued by Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
The highest number of casualties has been reported in Chitwan, where 132 bodies have been recovered, followed by Nawalparasi East with 82, Gorkha with 30, Dhading with 33, Nuwakot with 28, Tanahun with 22, Rasuwa with 17 and Nawalparasi West with 15.
Of the 910 people reported missing or out of contact, the figures include 28 Nepal Police personnel, 44 Nepal Army personnel, 13 Armed Police Force personnel, 15 Customs Office personnel and four Immigration Office personnel.
Amongst the missing persons are 49 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu who had undergone Kailash Yatra.
A total of 103 people from Tamil Nadu had gone on a tour to Nepal and got stranded there due to the flash flooding of the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa district of the country.
Tamil Nadu government also said that the first group consisted of 54 persons from Tamil Nadu and 3 persons from Puducherry, totalling 57 persons, and the second group consisted of 49 persons.
While parts of these groups remain uncontactable, 21 pilgrims have been successfully rescued along with a total of 63 workers of the Trishuli-I project.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay instructed Ashish Kumar, I.A.S., Home Secretary, to lead a team to go directly to Nepal and coordinate the rescue work. He has also instructed him to make arrangements to immediately bring back the Tamils who have been rescued to their hometowns, to trace the status of those who are out of contact, to expedite the rescue work, and to provide necessary medical assistance.
Moreover, 32 Indian nationals from West Bengal had travelled via Samrat Travels and were stationed in Timure, located in the Rasuwa district near the border. Additionally, tracking teams are working to locate a group of 33 nationals from Kerala, alongside a mixed group of 61 Indian nationals hailing from various other states, as rescue coordination centres step up efforts to reach all unaccounted individuals, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
As per an official update, a total of 290 Indian nationals, impacted by the floods in Nepal at 7 pm on August 27, were not contactable.
Ahmedabad resident Bhavin Raval, who travelled to Nepal from Australia for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, has been missing amid flash floods.
Bhavin's elder brother Dhaval Raval said the family's last communication with him took place after he completed immigration formalities in Nepal and was preparing to proceed towards the Tibet border.
Speaking to ANI, Dhaval said, "Regarding the incident in Nepal, my brother, Bhavin Raval, was there as part of his journey to Kailash Mansarovar. He departed from Nepal for the pilgrimage yesterday morning. The previous evening, around 6:30-7:00 PM, I spoke with him while he was in Kathmandu. We talked about how he was doing, the overall situation, the weather, and the food arrangements," he said.
Bhavin was travelling with two close friends as part of a larger group of 26 people. The pilgrimage was organised by the travel agency 'Kailash Journey', Dhaval said, adding that the pilgrimage itself had not yet begun.
Kolkata resident Sunit Bhattacharya said his mother, Sushmita Bhattacharya, who travelled to Nepal for a trip including a visit to Mansarovar, has also remained uncontactable for around 24 hours.
"She left from Kolkata on the 21st. I last spoke to her on the 23rd," Sunit told ANI, adding that the travel agency informed him that the group had left their hotel for the Tibet border at around 6:30 AM.
The father of a 41-year-old hardware merchant from Siliguri's Santinagar area, Samar Mandal, has lodged a missing complaint at a local police station and appealed to the government to take immediate steps to locate and safely bring back his son.
"He went sightseeing to Manasarovar, after which water came and since then, nothing is known about them. Yesterday morning around 8:10 AM, I managed to speak with him in the morning itself. After that, around 8:30 or 9:00 AM, the phone switched off. Since then, the phone has been switched off; that's all. After taking a bath at Manasarovar, he returned, and then his health deteriorated a bit. The younger son also went to look for him, but he hasn't been found yet. We haven't received any news from him either," he said.
Mousumi Banerjee, a friend of Aringam Ganguly and Mousumi Ganguly, who remain stranded during their Mansarovar pilgrimage, said the couple began their journey on August 21 and appealed to the government to step in and ensure their safe evacuation.
"Their names are Aringam Ganguly and Mousumi Ganguly; they set out for the Mansarovar trip on 21 August. Upon hearing the recent news, we are deeply saddened and anxious about what updates might come through. We would certainly want the government to step in and bring them back here safely", she told ANI.
In view of this, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that two dedicated control rooms have been operating continuously to handle incoming distress calls from families. He added that the state government is maintaining direct communication with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu to track the safety and whereabouts of the stranded citizens.
"Since yesterday, we have been closely monitoring the situation. 2 Control rooms are functioning, and calls are coming in continuously. Approximately 32 people are missing; they are all residents of Kolkata and Chandannagar. We are in direct touch with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu," he said.
Swarup Mohapatra from Odisha, brother of one of the stranded people, said he last spoke to him on August 25 while he was travelling by bus and has been unable to establish contact since.
"I spoke with him on the evening of August 25; he was on a bus at the time. On August 26, I saw the news of the incident on TV. I tried to contact him, but I have not been able to get through so far," Mohapatra told ANI.
He urged the Odisha and Indian governments to take immediate steps to rescue his brother and other stranded people.
"I request the Odisha and Indian governments to rescue my brother as soon as possible," he added.
Earlier, the Odisha government set up a control room with a 24x7 helpdesk at Odisha Niwas in New Delhi to assist people from the state who may be stranded or in distress amid the devastating flash flood in Nepal.
On the positive front, at least 40-45 tourists from Nashik who were stranded in Nepal following floods in the neighbouring country and assured that all of them are safe, Nashik Guardian Minister Girish Mahajan confirmed.
Mahajan said relatives of the tourists had approached him after they were unable to establish contact with them earlier.
"There are 40-45 tourists from Nashik there. Their relatives had been visiting me since morning. Attempts to reach them yesterday were unsuccessful, but contact was finally made with the tourists in Nepal a short while ago. The travellers' relatives conveyed this to me," he added.
The Indian government has established a 24x7 special control room at the Ministry of External Affairs to coordinate assistance and facilitate communication with Indians affected by the floods.
Earlier today, Prime Minister of Nepal Balendra Shah visited the Army Training Centre at Battar Bazar in flood-affected Nuwakot district to take stock of the prevailing situation following the devastating flash floods.
The Devighat area of Nuwakot, one of the worst-hit locations, has suffered extensive damage, with raging floodwaters severely damaging roads, rupturing buildings and leaving several neighbourhoods homeless, according to accounts from residents speaking to ANI from the ground.
Resident Janak Bahadur Nepali said his house was destroyed in the flooding and that residents were facing difficulties arranging food and shelter.
"My house has sunk. Except for 2-3 people, all others are safe in the village. We are facing challenges regarding food and living. Currently, we have not received anything from the government," he told ANI.
Another local resident described Devighat as the worst-affected area and said some people from the locality remain missing.
"Devighat is the worst-affected area. Some people from here are missing," the resident told ANI.
Residents also pointed to the destruction of roads and bridges as a major obstacle to rescue operations, saying large quantities of mud and rubble had accumulated in the area.
"The biggest challenge is that there are no roads now. Mud and rubble have accumulated here now. The bridge that existed here was washed away. Two bodies were retrieved from here in the morning. We suspect many people might be buried under the rubble here," another resident told ANI.
Moreover, Nepal received a fresh warning of another potentially major flood in the Bhotekoshi River system following the formation of a lake upstream after the Lhende River became obstructed.
According to a special notice issued by Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, "In view of this situation, until further notice is issued, residents of the lower banks of the Bhotekoshi River, passengers, rescuers engaged in rescue operations, and all concerned are requested to exercise special caution and stay in safe places away from the river banks and risky areas."
The latest flood warning follows Wednesday's devastating flash floods along the Bhotekoshi River near the Nepal-China border in the Rasuwagadhi area and other parts of Nepal, which caused extensive loss of life and damage to settlements and critical infrastructure. (ANI)
Nepal floods: Bereaved families issue desperate pleas to Centre as hundreds still missing
