CHENNAI: Families of six pilgrims from Kancheepuram are in distress after losing contact with them for more than 24 hours following the deadly flash flood in Nepal. They were part of a 49-member group on a spiritual trip and were reportedly at the immigration office when floodwaters swept through the building. Their families have submitted petitions to Kancheepuram Collector Sneha, seeking immediate steps to trace and rescue the pilgrims.
The Tamil Nadu government said that 103 people from Tamil Nadu had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Yatra.
The group, comprising 22 men and 27 women, left for the pilgrimage on August 14 through Mahadev Kailash Yatra, a spiritual tourism and travel company based in Radhanagar, Chromepet, Chennai.
The pilgrims were from several parts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai's Chromepet, Perambur, Alwarpet, Singaperumal Koil, Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Theni, Namakkal, Erode, Karur, Tiruchy, Salem and Coimbatore.
The group reportedly travelled from Chennai airport to Nepal via Delhi on August 14. They were scheduled to complete the pilgrimage and return to Chennai on Thursday, August 27.
After completing their pilgrimage, the group was reportedly travelling towards the Nepal border through the China border route. They were said to be undergoing immigration formalities at an immigration office when a sudden flash flood reportedly swept through the area and completely damaged the building.
Following the incident, communication with the 49 pilgrims was reportedly lost. Their families have been unable to ascertain their whereabouts or condition.
Seven members of the group are from Chromepet: Sathya Narayanan, Vikraman, Manjula, Velavendhan, Rajalakshmi, Amudha and Kishore. Sathya Narayanan, the son of the travel company's owner, was reportedly leading the group.
The six pilgrims from Kancheepuram have been identified as Meenakshi, Latha Bhanumathi, Saraswathi, Chandran, Gopal and Arunachalam.
Meenakshi and Chandran reportedly spoke to their families in Kancheepuram around 6 am on Wednesday, saying that they were travelling towards Nepal. However, no further communication has been received from them after reports of the flash flood.
With the pilgrims expected to return to Chennai on Thursday, their families are now deeply worried after being unable to contact them for more than 24 hours. They have urged the Centre and Tamil Nadu government to take immediate steps to trace and rescue the 49-member group.
The families of the six Kancheepuram pilgrims have also submitted petitions to District Collector Sneha, seeking urgent intervention to locate their relatives and ensure their safety.