Five days after severe flooding and flash floods struck Nepal, the situation on the ground remains dire. The death toll from the disaster has reached 900, while more than 2,500 people are still reported missing. Thousands of families continue to search for their loved ones, with rising water levels and difficult conditions in several areas hampering relief and rescue operations.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that state government agencies are working round the clock to assist and safely evacuate residents trapped by the sudden flash floods and landslides near the Nepal-China border during the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. He has directed officials to remain fully alert and ensure coordination so that all affected people can be brought back safely.
No trace of 67 Maharashtra pilgrims
The biggest concern remains the 67 pilgrims from Maharashtra who have been missing since the flash floods hit Nepal. All had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Their families have been in constant contact with Indian, Nepali and Chinese officials in an effort to get information about their loved ones.
According to reports, the group includes 60-year-old Meenakshi Subramaniam and her 67-year-old husband Venkata Subramaniam, residents of Kandivali, Mumbai. The group was travelling under the leadership of Dr Milind Chitale. At the time the floods struck, the pilgrims were at the Timure border immigration centre, preparing to cross into Tibet. The group’s 67 members have not been reachable since.
Their last known location is reported to be Timure in Rasuwa district — one of the worst-affected areas in Nepal.
‘Received his last message at 8:21am’
The wait has become extremely difficult for Mumbai’s Ramakrishnan family. Family member CG Ramakrishnan said he received a message from his brother-in-law Venkata at 8:21am.
He said the message stated that Venkata was at Nepal’s immigration centre and was about to head towards Tibet. There has been no word from him since.
Ramakrishnan said the family remains in constant touch with the Indian, Nepali and Chinese embassies, but no clear information about the whereabouts or condition of the 67 missing people has been received so far.
‘Phones are switched off, hope is fading’
According to the family, the mobile phones of the missing are switched off or unreachable. Ramakrishnan said that according to information from the embassies, Rasuwa has been the epicentre of the flash floods.
He said the family is deeply worried about their loved ones. Search efforts by officials are ongoing, but the family’s anxiety is growing as time passes. He expressed hope that some miracle might happen and that everyone would be found safe.
69 more Maharashtra residents reach Nepal from China
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government said on Sunday that 69 state residents have left China’s Kodari immigration centre for Nepal and are expected to reach Mumbai by Monday. Earlier, 142 tourists from Maharashtra had already been safely brought back to the state.
Roads and connecting routes in several areas of Nepal have been damaged following the floods, making it a major challenge for the administration to safely evacuate stranded people.
Efforts to identify unidentified bodies
Bodies are being recovered from several areas in the aftermath of the floods and flash floods, and some remain unidentified. Authorities are preserving identification-related evidence linked to these bodies so that they can be identified later and the process of handing them over to families can be completed.
Water levels continue to rise in several areas, affecting relief and rescue work. Five days on, thousands of families are still awaiting news of their loved ones, and concern continues to grow among the families of the 67 missing Maharashtra pilgrims.
