4 days ago
Nepal Floods Leave Maharashtra Tourists Untraceable
Floods in Nepal made it difficult for many people from Maharashtra to travel home.
Officials are tracking roughly 400 stranded people, although different updates gave totals of 395 and 404.
They have confirmed that hundreds are safe, but about 60 people still cannot be contacted.
Phone and internet problems in the flood-hit areas are making this harder.
A group of 37 pilgrims left Saga in Tibet and began traveling toward Kathmandu or India.
Another group from Nagpur reached India and received help with food, shelter, and travel.
Government offices are working with relatives, travel companies, and Indian authorities to find the people who are still unreachable.
The number of people being tracked has changed as officials receive new information.
Officials have tracked between 395 and 404 Maharashtra residents stranded in the Nepal-Tibet region after August 26 flash floods.
Authorities confirmed 325 people safe in one report and 338 in a later state government update.
About 60 tourists remain untraceable, including a group that traveled through Mumbai-based Richa Tours.
Thirty-seven pilgrims stranded at Saga in Tibet have begun traveling toward Kathmandu or India with government assistance.
Nagpur groups of 105 or 106 people have returned to India or reached Sitamarhi and were being assisted with onward travel.
- Who
- About 400 people from Maharashtra, including tourists and Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims, were stranded; approximately 60 remain untraceable.
- What
- Floods and communication disruptions disrupted travel, while authorities worked to confirm people’s safety and arrange their return.
- Where
- The affected travelers were in Nepal and the Nepal-Tibet region, including Saga in Tibet; Nagpur residents reached Sitamarhi, Bihar, and other travelers were being moved toward Kathmandu or India.
- When
- The flash floods occurred on August 26; official updates were issued on Friday and Saturday, with some return travel scheduled for August 29 and the following day.
- Why
- Flash floods damaged roads and infrastructure and disrupted communications in the affected region.
Earlier Official Update
Later State Government Report
Number of stranded people
Earlier Official Update
The Friday update said officials had compiled information on approximately 395 Maharashtra tourists.
Later State Government Report
The Saturday report counted 404 people from Maharashtra stranded in the Nepal-Tibet region.
People confirmed safe
Earlier Official Update
Officials said 325 tourists had been contacted and confirmed safe.
Later State Government Report
The later report said authorities had contacted and confirmed 338 people safe.
Identity of the untraceable group
Earlier Official Update
The earlier report identified 60 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims among those currently untraceable, while also mentioning 10 previously contacted people who became unreachable because of network disruptions.
Later State Government Report
The later report said 60 tourists who traveled through Richa Tours remained untraceable and separately mentioned six people whose information came through an online link but who could not be contacted.
Key facts
- People tracked
- Officials reported figures of 395 and 404 Maharashtra residents stranded in the Nepal-Tibet region.
- Confirmed safe
- One update said 325 people were confirmed safe; a later state report said authorities had contacted and confirmed 338 safe.
- Untraceable group
- About 60 tourists remained untraceable in both reports.
- Travel operator
- The later report said the 60 untraceable tourists had traveled through Mumbai-based Richa Tours Pvt Ltd.
- Saga pilgrims
- Thirty-seven people stranded at Saga in Tibet began traveling toward Kathmandu or India.
- Nagpur travelers
- Reports said 105 or 106 people from Nagpur had reached India, including a group that arrived in Sitamarhi, Bihar.
- Government response
- The Maharashtra government coordinated with the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, district authorities, travel agencies, and relatives.
Quotes
Senior Maharashtra government official
A senior official from the State Disaster Management Unit discussing the changing list of stranded tourists.
“The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also provided a list of 149 Indian citizens currently in the China/Tibet region to the Maharashtra government. Since these people belong to different districts of Maharashtra, authorities are working to collect their details through the respective district administrations.”
m.rediff.com
“We have compiled the data of 395 persons so far. This data has been shared with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The data of the tourists keeps changing every hour as people continue to contact us. At times, we also receive leads from other agencies.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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