219 of 319 Tamils rescued from Nepal floods, 100 remain untraced: TN Minister Rajmohan

CHENNAI: As many as 219 of the 319 Tamil Nadu residents who travelled to Nepal and were stranded amid the devastating floods have been rescued, while efforts are on to trace the remaining 100, Minister Rajmohan said.

Talking to reporters at Chennai airport after returning from New Delhi, Rajmohan said 33 rescued persons would reach Coimbatore by flight from Delhi on Monday (August 31) evening, while another six would arrive in Chennai later that night.

“Of the 319 people who travelled from Tamil Nadu in different groups, 219 are safe. They will return by Monday night,” he said.

The minister said 21 of the 57-member group that travelled through a Kumbakonam-based travel agency had been rescued and brought back safely to Chennai. Efforts were continuing to trace the remaining 36 members of the group.

The whereabouts of 49 persons who travelled from Chromepet as part of the Mahadevi Yatra group were also not known, he said.

Another group of 150 people had reached Kathmandu through the China border and were returning on different flights, while 39 others were safe, Rajmohan said.

Describing the disaster as an international-scale calamity, the Minister said there was a possibility of bodies and belongings being found hundreds of kilometres from the affected areas. “The armies of both countries are involved in the rescue operations,” he said.

A war room had been set up at Tamil Nadu House in Delhi to coordinate the rescue efforts and assist anxious families. The State government had also held discussions with the Union government and coordinated with the authorities concerned, he said.

While four ministers, including Rajmohan, travelled to Delhi, three returned to Chennai on Saturday night, while Minister for Non-Resident Tamils Welfare K Thennarasu remained in the national capital to oversee the rescue operations.