84 Tamil Nadu Tourists Missing in Nepal Flash Floods, Minister Tells Assembly

CHENNAI — Public Works Department Minister Aadhav Arjuna informed the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Monday that 84 tourists from the state remain incommunicado following flash floods in Nepal's Bhote Koshi river on August 26.

Making a statement in the House, the minister stated that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had directed state officials to coordinate round-the-clock rescue and relief efforts with the Nepal government, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

A three-member team of Tamil Nadu nodal officers has been stationed in Kathmandu to trace the missing tourists and assist family members and relatives arriving in Nepal. Search operations are currently underway on a war footing to establish contact with the unaccounted-for travelers.

The minister also noted that 21 tourists from Tamil Nadu have already been successfully rescued from the flood-hit areas. They were transported to New Delhi and subsequently sent safely to their respective native towns.

According to the minister, the three-member nodal team is working closely with Nepalese authorities, the Indian Embassy, and the Ministry of External Affairs to trace the 84 tourists whose whereabouts are yet to be confirmed.

The Tamil Nadu government has urged relatives seeking information or traveling to Nepal to reach out to the nodal officers stationed in Kathmandu or contact the Tamil Nadu House control room in New Delhi for assistance. Meanwhile, the Nepal Police has published information regarding the disaster and missing persons on its official website.