Thiruvananthapuram: Sixty people from Kerala stranded in Nepal after flash floods have been confirmed safe, while eight others, including four Australian citizens, remain uncontactable, NORKA Roots said on Friday.
The death toll from the flash floods in Nepal rose to 538 on Friday, with more bodies recovered as search and rescue operations continued amid the threat of fresh flooding.
Meanwhile, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 21 Indian nationals from Tamil Nadu, stranded in flood-affected areas of Nepal, had landed in Delhi. He also said 63 Indians working at the Trishuli One hydropower project had been rescued, while 96 Indians stranded on the Chinese side had safely crossed into Nepal. Efforts are under way to evacuate them.
Jaiswal said 320 people remained uncontactable or missing, along with around 100 people of Indian origin who may have travelled for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and hold other nationalities.
NORKA Roots, the Kerala government agency that coordinates overseas affairs and welfare services for non-resident Keralites, said it had compiled a list of 82 people based on information verified through the offices of the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary, the State Disaster Management Authority and its help desks till Thursday evening.
NORKA Roots CEO Rajesh Madhavan said the details of the eight uncontactable Keralites, including the four Australian citizens, had been shared with the Ministry of External Affairs.
The remaining 14 people on the list are from other states, and their details have also been shared with the Ministry of External Affairs and the respective state governments.
Meanwhile, a 23-member Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage group, including 19 people from Kerala, is continuing its journey from Darchen in Tibet to Saga and is expected to reach Saga by Friday evening.
The group is scheduled to travel from Saga to Kathmandu on Saturday morning through the Kodari-Nyalam border crossing. It is expected to return to India by air from Kathmandu on August 31.
NORKA Roots said it was coordinating with the concerned authorities and monitoring the group’s journey.
Some other Keralites have informed their families that they travelled from Nepal to India and reached Darjeeling in West Bengal. Others have reported that they are safe in the Mount Everest region.
NORKA Roots has also received information about a person who last contacted their family from Thulo Syabru in Langtang, Nepal, and another person facing travel difficulties in Jajarkot in Karnali Province.
Following directions from the Chief Minister’s Office, arrangements have been made to facilitate the travel of Keralites returning to India from Nepal to their homes in Kerala.
Those requiring assistance can contact NORKA Roots help desks or the Delhi NRK Development Office.
