Bhubaneswar: After remaining untraceable for last couple of days in flood-ravaged Nepal, 20-year-old Kulsum Nigar from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj was reported to be safe in the Himalayan nation on Thursday, bringing relief to her family.
According to information, Kulsum herself called her family and informed them that she was safe. She reportedly stated that she along with other members of her trekking group are safe and currently in Baglung area in western Nepal.
Kusum’s whereabouts remained unknown for the last two days due to mobile network crisis in the region, which also hampered rescue and communication efforts.
Kulsum, a resident of Ward No. 23 in Baripada, had travelled to Nepal with a group of 12 people, was the third Odia reported missing after the flash floods. Her last known location was Pokhara, where she had gone for trekking.
Two others – Sandeep Mahapatra and his wife, Siddharti Kumari Sahoo, natives of Khordha district who had been living in Melbourne since 2018, are still reported to be missing,
Officials said 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,” a senior official said.
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.
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.
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.