Bhubaneswar: The whereabouts of at least three people from Odisha, holidaying in the Himalayan nation, remained unknown till Thursday morning, a day after a devastating flash flood struck a crucial border crossing between Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday.
The missing individuals have been identified as Sandeep Mahapatra and his wife, Siddharti Kumari Sahoo, natives of Khordha district who had been living in Melbourne since 2018, and Kulsum Nigar, a resident of Baripada in Mayurbhanj district.
“The couple’s family in Odisha had informed the authorities of their disappearance, and we have alerted the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure swift follow-up,” Pritish Panda, officer on special duty at Odisha Paribar, the state government’s support body for Non-Resident Odias (NROs), told the media.
They had travelled to Nepal on August 22 for sightseeing and their last known GPS location was near an immigration office in the flood-affected border region. Efforts by their families to reach them via mobile phones have failed as network connectivity in the affected areas remains severely disrupted. The couple was reportedly scheduled to travel to Kailash Mansarovar and their family had spoken to them at 8 pm on August 25.
Panda further informed that Kulsum took a train on August 21 and reached Nepal on August 22 for trekking and sightseeing, including visits to Pokhara and Kathmandu. Relatives reported that communication with her was lost shortly after severe weather hit the region. “She had spoken her family a before the flash flood hit Nepal. We have collected all information from the family and sent it to the MEA,” he added.
Kulsum’s last GPS location was in the vicinity of Kathmandu. Sources further claimed that another woman from Bhubaneswar, who was accompanying her, is also missing.
Panda further stated that a group of six students from Bhubaneswar who traveled to Nepal for a football match are currently safe in Pokhara with their coach. “We has also received a call from Rakesh Kumar Panda of Puri district. The MEA informed that they have safely crossed to India from Raxaul check post,” he added.
Rakesh, who was on a sightseeing trip to Nepal with two friends, told reporters that the disaster occurred roughly 100 km away. “With bridges washed out and roads blocked, getting back was very tough,” he recalled. He also mentioned meeting seven women from Jajpur, Odisha, at the Pashupatinath temple who had intended to travel into the mountain region.
The Odisha government has also set up a round-the-clock control room (7428135044, 8527580245, 011-23012807) at its guest house in Delhi to assist people from the state stranded or in distress in Nepal.
On players stranded in the Nepal flash floods, Minister for Sports and Youth Services Suryabanshi Suraj says, “…The group from our Sports Department that visited the area affected by the flash floods is safe; our department spoke to them just this morning. The government has issued a helpline number, and we are tracking tourists from Odisha by contacting their families. The Indian government is providing significant support, and we are in communication with the Nepal government regarding those who are missing. Many tourists who visited Nepal are currently unaccounted for, including some individuals from Odisha whose phones are switched off…”
The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday when torrential debris flows swept through crucial border crossings and downstream districts. The catastrophe has left 165 people dead and more than 1,000 missing across Nepal and neighbouring Tibet, including 300 Indian nationals.
