Daijiworld Media Network - Gandhinagar
Gandhinagar, Aug 28: At least 23 people linked to Gujarat were reported missing or uncontactable in State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) and district emergency centre records on Friday following devastating flash floods near Nepal’s border with Tibet.
Several of those listed were travelling on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route through Kerung, while others had travelled to Nepal from India. The list, updated at 12.54 pm, includes Indian-origin citizens of the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, besides Gujarat residents and people based overseas.
One person initially reported uncontactable, Roma Intwala of Valsad, has since been confirmed safe in Nepal, according to state records.
Among those listed are Ahmedabad residents Kinnari Patel and Mihir Patel, who travelled on August 23 with Richa Tours Pvt Ltd for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Kerung. Their last contact was recorded at 4.51 am on August 26.
From Anand, Bimalkumar Patel and Jaimina Patel, who travelled on August 16 through Namaste Nepal Trekking and Research Hub, were also reported untraceable. Both are US citizens of Indian origin.
Ahmedabad resident Ashok Kapadi, travelling with Samrat Tours and Travels on the Kailash Mansarovar route, was last contacted around 8.30 am on August 26, when he was reportedly about to reach the China border immigration centre.
The list also includes Jay Kotecha of Rajkot, along with Paresh Patel, Jyoti Patel and Minaxi Ramani, all linked to Surat.
Paresh and Jyoti, who reside in the US, were travelling with Hills & Trills Tour, Mumbai, and were last contacted around 8.10 am on August 26. Minaxi Ramani was also travelling on the Kailash Mansarovar route and is understood to reside in Mumbai.
Dinesh Patel, an Amreli native and US citizen, was reported missing by a contact in Ahmedabad.
From Kheda, Umesh Patel, Akansha Patel and Ishan Patel were travelling from Delhi to Nepal by air. No contact has been established with them since August 25, according to the records. Umesh and Akansha are Canadian citizens, while Ishan is an American citizen.
Another Kheda-linked case concerns Shilpa Patel, who was reported uncontactable by Mukti Patel. Shilpa travelled from Delhi to Nepal by flight on August 26 and is listed as a US citizen. Her residence was given as Dhramaj in Anand district.
From Gandhinagar, Bhavinkumar Raval was reported missing while travelling with Kailash Journeys via Kyirong. His last contact was recorded around 5 am on August 27. He is an Australian citizen originally from Gandhinagar.
Three other Gandhinagar-linked cases involve Amita Amin, Tejal Patel and Jitendra Patel, all US citizens travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Nepal Trekking Planner. Their last known location was recorded in the Bagmati area near the Friendship Bridge.
The state records also include Chauhan Babulal, also known as Gomtibapu, from Jafrabad in Amreli. He reportedly left Jafrabad for Ayodhya on August 10 and was due to travel to Nepal with a group. His phone has reportedly remained unreachable since August 11. His travel record mentions Himalayan Glacier Adventure and Travel Company.
Two further cases from Anand concern Padma Patel and Jagdish Patel, both linked to Jalundh in Khambhat taluka. Jagdish travelled on August 22 with Himalayan Glacier Adventure and Travel Company for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
The list also names Bina Parikh, based in Ahmedabad and having an overseas residence in Queens, New York. She travelled on August 21 with Trekking Planner Travel Agency. Her family told authorities that no contact had been established with her since August 24.
Poonam Thakkar, who travelled on August 25 with Himalayan Glacier, was also reported uncontactable. She is recorded as holding US and Canadian citizenship.
The Valsad case involving Roma Intwala is the only one among the listed cases in which authorities have subsequently confirmed the person’s safety. The state record said the Valsad Mamlatdar was informed that she was safe in Nepal.
The disaster struck Rasuwa district near the Nepal-China border on Wednesday, with the Rasuwagadhi crossing and surrounding areas among the worst affected.
The route is a major overland gateway for private Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimages, with travellers moving from Kathmandu through Rasuwa and Timure before crossing into Tibet through the Gyirong, or Kerung, border.
The flash floods swept away roads, bridges and other infrastructure along the route, leaving large numbers of travellers cut off from communication.
The Indian government is monitoring the situation through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.
The Centre has said there is no need for panic and that reports concerning missing Indian tourists are being followed up by the MEA and the embassy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah and conveyed his condolences over the loss of lives in the floods.