Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Madras High Court Seeks Report on Missing Nepal Flood Pilgrims
A group of pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry went missing after severe floods in Nepal.
They had travelled for the Kailash Yatra.
Officials said 305 people were in the group.
So far, 220 people had been found, rescued and sent home.
The remaining 85 people had not yet been traced.
Their relatives were taken to Kathmandu to support efforts to find them.
A lawyer asked the court to make sure the governments acted quickly.
The Madras High Court ordered reports and will hear the case again the following week.
The Madras High Court directed the Union and Tamil Nadu governments to submit detailed reports on efforts to trace missing pilgrims.
Of 305 people who travelled for the Kailash Yatra, 220 were traced, rescued and sent to their native places.
Authorities were working to trace and rescue the remaining 85 pilgrims.
Relatives of the 85 unaccounted-for people, including former judge V Sivagnanam, were taken to Kathmandu at government expense.
The court issued the directive while hearing a public-interest petition and scheduled the next hearing for the following week.
- Who
- The Madras High Court, the Union and Tamil Nadu governments, and pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
- What
- The court directed the governments to report on efforts to trace and rescue 85 pilgrims still unaccounted for.
- When
- The directive was issued on Wednesday, September 2; the next hearing was scheduled for the following week.
- Where
- The case was heard by the Madras High Court, while the missing pilgrims were in Nepal and relatives were taken to Kathmandu.
- Why
- The pilgrims went missing after catastrophic flash floods in Nepal, and a public-interest petition sought urgent rescue measures.
- Total pilgrims
- 305 people travelled for the Kailash Yatra.
- Traced and rescued
- 220 people were traced, rescued and sent to their native places.
- Still unaccounted for
- 85 people remained to be traced and rescued.
- Governments directed
- The Union and Tamil Nadu governments were ordered to file detailed reports.
- Relatives’ travel
- Relatives of the 85 missing people were taken to Kathmandu at government expense.
- Petitioner
- Advocate A F Parvesh Mushraf filed the public-interest petition.
- Next hearing
- The case was posted for further hearing the following week.
