At least 85 people from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry remain untraceable a day after the killer flash flood swept through the Nepal-China border on Wednesday.Disruption of telecommunication and power lines across the affected terrain added to the anxiety of their relatives who have petitioned the state and Union govts for swift rescue efforts.
killer flash flood
Besides the 57 people mentioned by the authorities on Wednesday, 49 more pilgrims were added to the missing people’s list on Thursday. The group includes nine pilgrims from Chennai who had gone on a Kailash Yatra on Aug 14.Eight are from Coimbatore and 11 from Namakkal, Salem and Erode, including the elder brother of former Namakkal MP A K P Chinraj. As many as 37 of the missing people are aged 50 or above.
Nepal-China border flash flood
The pilgrims had flown from Chennai to Kathmandu and travelled by bus towards the Nepal-China border. They were scheduled to complete immigration formalities at the border on Aug 27, return to Nepal and fly back to Chennai.A trip organiser of the Chennai group who spoke to some of the pilgrims on Wednesday night said they were waiting at an immigration centre on the banks of the river when the flash flood swept through the area, washing away buildings and people.More than 10 relatives of stranded passengers from Kancheepuram submitted a petition to the district authorities seeking their intervention to ascertain the whereabouts and ensure safety of their family members.Ramesh, a relative of a missing person, said they had been unable to contact the passengers since 8pm on Wednesday (Aug 26).“The list so far mentions only the 57 members who registered with Nepal immigration. There is no information about those who registered with China immigration. We want the authorities to release details about their whereabouts,” he said. Vikraman and his wife Manjula of Ekkattuthangal were in the group. Their son Praveen said his parents had spoken to him on Monday night but could not be contacted thereafter. “My parents were to return on Wednesday,” he said.Authorities continue efforts to trace travellers caught in areas affected by the flood. On Wednesday, Nepal Tourism Board, tourist police and stakeholders released a preliminary agency-wise assessment in which tour operators identified 384 travellers as missing, including 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepalese nationals.Coimbatore district administration confirmed that eight residents, who had also gone on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, were missing. Gayathri Devi, director of a private city school, and her son Shivanth, are among those missing.R Madhumathi, daughter of Vimala Ravi who travelled from Srirangam, said, “We last contacted her the night before the flood. We are clueless about how to seek help from Kathmandu.” Mahalingam, 81, a retired village administrative officer and husband of Thiripurasundari, 67, from Bhuvanagiri in Cuddalore district, said he regretted not accompanying his wife on the Mount Kailash– Mansarovar pilgrimage.“We always travelled together. This time I did not go with my wife because I have grown old and am unwell. I did not expect something like this to happen.” District revenue officer A V Surendhiran said administrative channels have been mobilized to track the stranded pilgrims.“The exact number of missing people from the region is still being ascertained. Based on inputs by family members who approached us, the details of those out of reach have been documented and relayed to the state headquarters, which is coordinating directly with authorities in New Delhi,” he said. “There has been no direct communication from the missing persons so far due to network collapses. The Commissionerate of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils is in contact with the local authorities,” he said
