Indians based in US, UK, Canada remain missing in flood-hit Nepal; Families appeal for help

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) As Indians based in the United States, UK and Canada, who were on a pilgrimage to the Kailash Mansarovar, remain missing following the massive flash floods in Nepal, their family members appealed for help from the governments of both nations.

A family in Gujarat’s Surat lost contact with their son, who is an engineer in Florida, daughter, and daughter-in-law, who were on the pilgrimage, following the tragedy.

Speaking to IANS, their mother, Sushila Patel, said: “My son, daughter-in-law, and daughter went to Nepal on August 23 and were scheduled to leave for Mansarovar on the 25th.”

“During the last conversation that we had, they told me that their immigration was completed and that they won’t be able to talk to me after this (as they were entering China). Since we saw the news of the tragedy, we have been calling people to know about their whereabouts. My son-in-law, who stays in Bombay (Mumbai), also said that they are unreachable,” she added.

The family appealed to the government to provide some information about the missing members.

Chhattisgarh BJP leader Karta Ram Gupta’s daughter Dr Meena Gupta, a UK-based doctor, was part of a 77-member group from Sadhguru’s Isha Foundation and was on her way back from the Kailash Mansarovar when she reportedly went missing.

Her brother-in-law said: “We even spoke to her on a video call during her ‘darshan’ at the Kailash Mansarovar…she had last spoken to her father on August 25.”

The family said that according to the group, she was at the immigration office when the tragedy struck.

“I appeal to the Indian and Nepalese authorities to provide any possible details about her at the earliest,” sister Mamta Mittal told IANS.

Swati Bagrecha from Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh was also part of the Isha foundation group and went missing after the flash floods near the China-Tibet border, during her Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.

Showing photographs from her visit to the holy place on his mobile phone, her brother, Dr Prashant Bagrecha, said: “She had come to India from Canada on August 8 and after that undertook the journey to Nepal, towards Mount Kailash. Day before yesterday, she reached the immigration office at around 9 am, while on her way back…the group said that she was last contacted at around 9:05 am and had been unreachable after the flash floods struck.”

The brother said that he has spoken to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, maintaining that everyone is trying to help at their own level.

In a similar case, Sandeep Kumar Garai, hailing from West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman, has been out of contact since Wednesday morning, following the devastating floods.

Talking to IANS, Sandeep’s wife Tithi Garai appeared frustrated as she complained of not receiving any update about her husband’s whereabouts from the administration.

“The administration hasn’t helped me at all till now. I am not getting any news. What is the administration doing? Yesterday I went and filed a (report) at the police station, and even at the SDO office. They haven’t provided any help till now. Bardhaman police station called me, but they are just saying they need documents, but we have not been provided any update so far,” she said.

–IANS

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