CHENNAI: The State government has set up a three-member nodal team in Kathmandu to coordinate rescue operations and assist relatives of Tamil tourists stranded or missing in flood-hit Nepal. According to a statement from the Tamil Nadu government, several tourists from the State were affected by the floods during their visit to Nepal, with some reported missing and others stranded in affected areas.
The State government said all possible assistance was being extended on the instructions of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. So far, 21 tourists from TN have been rescued and brought to New Delhi before being sent to their respective native places. Search and rescue efforts are continuing for 84 more tourists from the state, according to the latest government statement.
The development comes as Nepal continues to deal with the aftermath of devastating flash floods, with the death toll rising to 903 on Monday, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). Around 4,247 people remain missing, while 10,451 people have been rescued.
Earlier, School Education Minister A Rajmohan said that 319 people from the State had travelled to Nepal through different groups. Of these, 219 had been accounted for, while 100 remained untraced at that time. The State has established a war room at Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi and coordinated with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and Nepalese authorities.
Rajmohan said, “The State government has received thousands of calls from families seeking information about their relatives. 319 people from TN had travelled to Nepal through various groups. Of them, 219 are safe. The remaining 100 people are considered missing.”
He added that the rescue teams were continuing efforts to locate the missing tourists and that the State government remained in coordination with central and Nepalese authorities. Meanwhile, families of missing people have been gathering at help centres in Nepal, checking lists of rescued and deceased persons and waiting for information about their relatives.