Nepal floods: Kin pray for miracle as 2 Chhattisgarh NRI women doctors go missing before rakhi fest

For Ramesh Choudhary, this Raksha Bandhan was supposed to be a joyous family reunion, with his only daughter, who had settled abroad, returning home to tie a rakhi to her younger brother.

But the 63-year-old businessman is now holding on to hope that she will return safely after going missing in flood-ravaged Nepal.

Dr Priyanka Choudhary (39), a Finland-based doctor originally from Bilaspur, is among two Non-Resident Indian (NRI) women from Chhattisgarh reported missing after flash floods struck Nepal on August 25.

Priyanka and Dr Meena Gupta, a British citizen from Surguja, were part of a group of about 77 pilgrims associated with the Isha Foundation who had undertaken the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, officials here said.

The group had completed the pilgrimage and reached the Rasuwagadhi immigration centre on the Nepal-Tibet border on August 25 for formalities to cross into Tibet when the flash flood struck, they said.

For the Choudhary family, the last conversation with Priyanka has become an agonising memory.

"Her mother spoke to Priyanka at around 9 am on August 25. She told her she was at the immigration centre and would speak later. At 9.14 am, the tragedy struck. Unware about it, we kept waiting for her call, but later media reports shocked us. We tried calling her, but she could not be contacted," Choudhary told PTI.

The previous night, the family had spoken to Priyanka for nearly an hour.

She had enthusiastically narrated her experiences from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and told them she would reach Kathmandu on August 25.

She was scheduled to travel to Delhi on August 26 and then reach Bilaspur for Raksha Bandhan, her father said.

Priyanka completed her schooling and BDS in Chhattisgarh before moving to the UK for higher studies. She later pursued a PhD in Finland, married a local man and settled there. She joined a university as a teacher there, he said.

The family has been in touch with her husband and has approached the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister's Office, providing the documents sought by the authorities.

"They have assured us of all possible cooperation," Choudhary said.

At home, the wait has taken an emotional toll.

"My wife is depressed and keeps crying. My son Tarun, Priyanka's younger brother, has been continuously making calls here and there, trying to find some clue about her. Relatives have also come here from Rohtak (Haryana)," he said.

"And now, everything is in God's hands. We are waiting for a miracle," Choudhary said, with tears in his eyes.

Several hundred kilometres away in Ambikapur, another family is living through a similar wait.

Dr Meena Gupta, a native of Surguja and a British citizen, was also looking forward to meeting her family in Delhi for Raksha Bandhan (celebrated on Friday), but the festival plans were upended after she went missing in Nepal.

Her father Karta Ram Gupta, who is currently in Delhi, said his daughter wanted him to come to Kathmandu but he declined citing the monsoon season and landslides.

"My daughter wanted me to come to Kathmandu and return with her to Delhi. I refused, citing landslides and the rainy season. But I never imagined that my daughter would have to face its wrath," he told PTI over phone.

Gupta said the family had planned to gather in Delhi for Raksha Bandhan.

"I have four daughters and a son. My son lives in Bhopal. All family members had planned to meet in Delhi and celebrate Raksha Bandhan," he said.

Meena had reached Delhi on August 14 and was also part of the Isha Foundation group that travelled to Kathmandu before undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

The group completed the pilgrimage on August 23 and reached the Rasuwagadhi immigration office on August 25 for formalities to cross the Nepal-Tibet border when the disaster struck, he said.

She completed her initial education at Holy Cross School in Ambikapur and later moved to England after becoming a doctor. Meena, a skin specialist, had been living in the UK since 15 years and has three daughters, her father said.

On Friday, the state government said the whereabouts of nine people linked to Chhattisgarh have so far been ascertained.

Two people who were earlier reported missing have established contact with their families, while five residents of Raipur have been confirmed safe and have begun their return journey.

The two NRIs, Dr Priyanka Choudhary of Bilaspur and Dr Meena Gupta of Surguja -- remain untraced, it said.

People seeking assistance or having information can contact the state control room at toll-free number 1070 or 0771-2223471, it said.

An ice-rock avalanche following a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border sent a torrent of water, mud and debris downstream through central Nepal on Wednesday, devastating towns and villages, washing away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges, and damaging hydropower projects.

The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal surged to 626 on Saturday, as rescue teams continued search and relief operations in a race against time. While nearly 2,500 people have been evacuated, more than 2,400 still remain missing, according to official figures.