Nepal floods: Telangana govt trying to trace 22 people unaccounted for

The Telangana government is trying to trace 22 people from the state whose whereabouts remain unknown after the flash floods in Nepal, an official release said Thursday.

The helpline set up at Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi received 80-100 calls from family members and others seeking information and assistance since it was established on Aug. 26.

After preliminary scrutiny and verification, 20 cases involving 23 people were identified for further action and coordination. Of them, six are from Telangana and 17 are Telangana-origin non-resident Indians, the release said.

One man from Ranga Reddy district who had undertaken the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra has since been confirmed safe and contacted his family.

Follow-up is continuing on the remaining 22 people in coordination with the authorities concerned, the release said.

Several of those untraced were travelling in the Nepal-Tibet region, including people travelling to or returning from the Mansarovar Yatra. Their last known locations include areas around Rasuwa, Rasuwagadhi and Gyirong along the Nepal-Tibet border.

Telangana govt coordinates with Centre

On the instructions of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Telangana Bhavan officials are coordinating with the Telangana Secretariat, Ministry of External Affairs, Embassy of India and other authorities to trace the missing people, ascertain their safety and facilitate assistance.

The resident commissioner of Telangana Bhavan is monitoring the situation and reviewing follow-up action, the release said.

Information received from family members, travel operators and official channels is being continuously verified, with actionable cases being taken up on priority with the authorities concerned.

K Mahender Reddy, a Hyderabad resident, told PTI Videos that his daughter Suhasini left Hyderabad on Aug. 23 and reached Kathmandu via Delhi.

He said the family had been unable to contact her since Tuesday and urged the Centre and Telangana government to help trace her. Suhasini had also met a friend from Australia in Kathmandu during her visit, he said.

The Telangana government said it would continue to monitor the situation and provide assistance based on verified information from the agencies concerned.

A massive flash flood originating in Tibet swept through central Nepal on Wednesday, devastating towns and villages, washing away bridges and damaging hydropower projects as floodwaters surged downstream across several districts.