New Delhi, August 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Families across several Indian states were left desperately searching for information on Thursday about relatives who went missing after devastating flash floods in Nepal, with many unable to establish contact since the disaster struck on Wednesday.
A large number of those reported missing were pilgrims travelling towards Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet. Families said they had received little information about their relatives despite repeated attempts to contact them and calls to helplines.
In Madhya Pradesh, Devki Adhikari said several members of her family were among those still unaccounted for. She recalled receiving a brief phone call during which relatives described trying to escape the flood by climbing a hill and taking shelter in a local resident’s house.
“They told me that while climbing up a hill to save their lives, they tried taking shelter at the house of a local which later got partially submerged in the flood. They said they were at the roof of the house and that there was no way they could save themselves… they asked me to take care of the kids, post which the call got disconnected,” Adhikari told IANS.
“There has been no contact after that. In all 29 people had gone there, all of them were known to us. So far, we have not received update on any of them,” she said.
In West Bengal, a couple from Durgapur in Asansol remained uncontactable during the pilgrimage. Their neighbour Sujata Banerjee said the two families had lived next to each other for around 30 years and that the couple had been excited about their visit to Kailash Mansarovar.
Siliguri resident Samar Mondal was also reported missing. His wife said the family last spoke to him on Wednesday morning and that a relative was travelling to the hotel in Kathmandu where he had been staying.
In Howrah, 68-year-old Anita Das went missing during her pilgrimage. Her family said she had left on August 21 and last spoke to her son on Wednesday morning. They said police subsequently informed them that she had been reported missing and that the West Bengal government had assured them of assistance.
Kolkata residents Debabrata Roy Choudhary and Lekha Choudhary, an elderly couple who left for Kailash Mansarovar on August 21, also remain untraceable. Neighbour Dipankar Nandi said the family had no information and that there was considerable confusion.
In South 24 Parganas, Lopamudra Kundu was travelling towards the pilgrimage site through the area hit by the disaster. Her husband, Shubhrijit Sinha Roy, said the family had contacted the Indian Embassy and provided her last known location.
“We have been continuously trying to get information about her following the disaster,” he said, adding that the embassy had assured them it would share any information it received.
Sixty-three-year-old Ranjit Howlader, who was travelling with a tourist group, has also been missing since Wednesday. His daughter said the family had contacted helplines but was only told that rescue operations were underway.
The family of a Ranchi resident working at a hydropower project near the Nepal-Tibet border for the past eight months has also been unable to contact him for more than 24 hours.
His sister-in-law said he was not answering calls and appealed to authorities to reach the location. She said around 200 Indians were working there along with him.
In Tamil Nadu, Vallinayagi of Tiruchirappalli was travelling in Nepal with relatives when the bus carrying them was caught in the flash flood.
Her relative, advocate Manoharan, said three family members were among 20 people who survived the incident. The 20 were part of a 57-member tourist group travelling towards Mount Kailash.
According to the information received by the group, their bus became stranded, while buses travelling ahead and behind them fell into a gorge.
Another family in Tamil Nadu is awaiting information about a missing pilgrim from Thanjavur. Her son Murali said she had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage two days earlier but the family had received no information about her since the disaster.
The flash floods have triggered large-scale rescue operations in Nepal, while Indian authorities are coordinating efforts to trace and assist citizens caught in the affected areas.
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