Around 100 Tamil Nadu Pilgrims Missing in Nepal Floods, 219 Safe

Around 100 of the nearly 319 people from Tamil Nadu who travelled to Nepal remain untraceable following devastating flash floods in the Himalayan region, while 219 have been traced safely, state Information Minister A Rajmohan said at the Chennai airport. In suburban Chrompet, ministers visited the family members of six missing residents as coordinated multi-agency rescue efforts continued.

Speaking to reporters after returning from New Delhi alongside Agriculture Minister R Vinoth late on Saturday, Rajmohan stated that 319 travellers had journeyed in various groups to Himalayan destinations before the disaster struck. More than 15,000 military personnel trained for disaster response have been deployed in the rescue operations, utilising helicopters and other methods in challenging terrain along the Nepal-China border.

Rajmohan noted that ministers had spent three days in the national capital coordinating rescue measures with the Foreign Secretary under directions from Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. He described the situation as an international catastrophe, pointing out that belongings of flood-affected travellers had been found hundreds of kilometres away from the impact site. Minister for Non-Resident Tamils Welfare K Thennarasu remained in New Delhi to oversee continuing operations, while the state government established a dedicated war room to assist affected families.

In Chennai, Minister P Venkataramanan visited the residence of a family in Chrompet where six members remain unaccounted for, along with a representative from a city-based travel company. Venkataramanan said heavy infrastructural damage had rendered areas near the Nepal-China border nearly inaccessible, but continuous efforts were underway to locate them.

Earlier, 21 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu returned safely to the city late on the night of August 28 and were received at the airport by Ministers N Anand and D Sarathkumar. While some unclaimed bodies have been recovered from the disaster zones, officials said conclusions cannot be drawn until formal identification processes are completed.