Nepal Flash Floods: 25 from Gujarat including NRIs reported missing; here is the list

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government is tracking 25 Gujarat-linked people reported missing or uncontactable following the devastating flash floods in Nepal, according to the latest State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) report issued on Friday evening.

The latest list includes people linked to Ahmedabad, Anand, Rajkot, Valsad, Surat, Kheda, Amreli and Gandhinagar. Several of them are NRIs or foreign citizens of Indian origin who were travelling to Nepal, particularly along the Kailash Mansarovar route and near the Nepal-Tibet border.

The latest SEOC data, compiled as of 8:30 pm on August 28, lists five people linked to Ahmedabad, four to Anand, one to Rajkot, one to Valsad, four to Surat, four to Kheda, two to Amreli and four to Gandhinagar, taking the total to 25. The citizenship details include US, Canadian, New Zealand, Australian and South African citizens, besides one person residing in Mumbai.

Several of the missing tourists were travelling through Nepal on the Kailash Mansarovar route. Others were last reported to be near the Friendship Bridge, the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border or in the Bagmati region, the SEOC said.

Gujarat Minister Jitu Vaghani said on Thursday that the state was working with the Central government and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to assist Gujaratis and other Indian citizens affected by the floods.

Vaghani said Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the state administration were in touch with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the MEA, while details of the missing persons had been shared with the concerned authorities.

He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah were in regular contact with the Nepal government and that the Gujarat government was making all possible efforts to assist those affected and their families.

The Gujarat state control room can be reached at (079) 232-51900 and 9978405304, while the helpline number 1070 is also available.

The flash flood, which originated in Tibet and swept into central Nepal on Wednesday, caused widespread destruction across several towns and villages. The deluge washed away vital bridges and disrupted around a dozen hydropower projects as floodwaters moved downstream, affecting multiple districts. DeshGujarat