Bhubaneswar: A couple from Odisha’s Khordha district, identified as Sandeep Mahapatra and his wife, Sidharthi Kumari Sahu, are reportedly among the hundreds of individuals missing following devastating flash floods in Nepal, which has claimed at least 165 dead.
According to sources, the couple, who have been residing in Australia since 2018, had traveled to the Himalayan nation for a holiday on September 22.
Meanwhile, in response to the crisis, the Odisha government has set up a 24×7 control room at Odisha Niwas in New Delhi to provide assistance to affected citizens from the state. The helpline numbers are +91-7428135044, +91-8527580245 and 011-23012807 for people seeking assistance. Pritish Panda, Officer on Special Duty at the Directorate of Odisha Parivar, has been appointed nodal officer and is coordinating with the MEA, a government statement said
Responding to reports of the missing couple, Panda said that search and rescue operations are underway. “The couple’s last known GPS location was near the Indian Immigration Office before their mobile phones were switched off. We are in touch with their family and are trying to collect information and forward it to the Indian Embassy [in Nepal],” he said.
Panda further stated that a group of 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.
While official state-wise confirmation from Nepali authorities remains pending, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed solidarity with the people of Nepal, offering condolences to bereaved families and praying for the safety of those affected and the personnel involved in rescue efforts.
