Around 100 Tamil Nadu travellers remain untraced after Nepal floods
Nearly 100 of around 319 people from Tamil Nadu who had travelled in groups to Nepal and Himalayan regions close to the China border remain untraceable following devastating flash floods in the region, state Information Minister A Rajmohan said.
According to the minister, 219 people from Tamil Nadu have so far been confirmed safe. The state government has been coordinating with authorities in Delhi and continuing efforts to locate those whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Rajmohan said he and Agriculture Minister R Vinoth had spent three days in New Delhi following directions from Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, coordinating rescue and relief operations.
Speaking to reporters at Chennai airport after returning from Delhi, the minister described the situation as an exceptionally serious international disaster. He said the destruction had made several affected areas extremely difficult to access.
Rescue teams, including military personnel and other first responders, are working under challenging conditions, with helicopters being used in some locations. Rajmohan said more than 15,000 trained military personnel were involved in rescue operations.
Some unidentified bodies have reportedly been recovered. However, the minister cautioned against drawing conclusions until the identification process is complete and authorities issue official confirmation.
He also urged families not to lose hope, pointing out that there have been instances of people surviving several days after major disasters.
The Tamil Nadu government has established a dedicated war room to coordinate information and assistance for affected families and is working on arrangements to bring survivors back home.
Tamil Nadu minister P Venkataramanan visited the families of six people from Chrompet who remain missing following the floods in Nepal and the Himalayan region.
The six missing people are members of the same family. A representative associated with a Chennai-based travel company is also reportedly among those whose whereabouts have not yet been established.
Following his meeting with relatives, Venkataramanan said extensive damage to infrastructure had left several areas along the Nepal-China border extremely difficult to reach.
He said authorities were making every possible effort to trace those still missing and provide information to their families. The six Chrompet residents are part of the larger group of nearly 100 travellers from Tamil Nadu who remain unaccounted for after the disaster.