Gandhinagar, Aug 27 (IANS) The Gujarat government is continuously monitoring 18 people from the state who have been reported missing or uncontactable in flood-hit Nepal, with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in touch with the Centre and state officials coordinating efforts to establish their whereabouts and ensure their safety.
A State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) compilation as of 5 p.m. on Thursday listed 18 Gujarat-linked people whose families had approached authorities after losing contact with them.
The list includes people from Ahmedabad, Anand, Rajkot, Valsad, Surat, Kheda, Amreli, Gandhinagar and Vadodara, several of whom were travelling on the Kailash Mansarovar route through Kerung.
The government had earlier said that around 12 people from Gujarat were reportedly missing, but the latest SEOC and district emergency centre records contain 18 entries.
The list includes Indian-origin foreign citizens from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Among those reported missing are Ahmedabad residents Kinnari Patel and Mihir Patel, who were travelling with Richa Tours Pvt Ltd on the Kailash Mansarovar route via Kerung.
Their last contact was reported at 4:51 a.m. on Wednesday. From Anand, Bimalkumar Patel and Jaimina Patel, both US citizens of Indian origin, were reported uncontactable while undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Namaste Nepal Trekking and Research Hub. Their last contact was reported on Wednesday morning.
Ashok Kapadi of Ahmedabad, travelling with Samrat Tours and Travels, was last contacted around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, when he was reportedly nearing the China border immigration centre.
Jay Dinesh Kotecha, a Rajkot resident, was reported uncontactable near the Friendship Bridge and Bhote Koshi River at the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border.
Roma Intwala of Valsad was also reported uncontactable in the same area but later confirmed safe by authorities.
Three people linked to Surat — Paresh Patel, Jyoti Patel and Minaxi Ramani — are also on the state list. Jyoti Patel and Minaxi Ramani were travelling on the Kailash Mansarovar route with Richa Tours Nepal and were last contacted on August 26.
Paresh Patel had not been in contact with his family for 24 hours. He resides in the United States. Three people from Kheda — Umesh Patel, Akansha Patel and Ishan Patel — were reported uncontactable. All three were travelling via Delhi to Nepal by flight and were last contacted on August 25 at about 7 p.m.
The records identify Umesh and Akansha as Canadian citizens and Ishan as an American citizen. Dinesh Patel of Amreli, a US citizen, was also reported uncontactable.
From Gandhinagar, Bhavinkumar Raval, an Australian citizen, was reported uncontactable after travelling via Kyirong, with his last contact at about 5 a.m. on Wednesday. Amita Amin, Tejal Patel and Jitendra Patel were also listed from Gandhinagar.
All three were reported in the Bagmati area near the Friendship Bridge. All three are US citizens. The development comes as a devastating flash flood and landslide disaster has affected parts of Nepal and the Nepal-China border, disrupting roads, bridges and communications and leaving hundreds of travellers unaccounted for.
Nepal's authorities have been working to verify the whereabouts of hundreds of tourists and travellers reported missing from affected areas.
The Gujarat government said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office is in contact with the Nepal government and that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is monitoring the situation involving stranded Gujaratis and other Indian citizens.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is maintaining communication with Shah and the Ministry of External Affairs, while External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his ministry are coordinating assistance and information.
Government spokesperson and minister Jitu Vaghani said, “The State Government stands with every affected family in this hour of grief; efforts are underway to bring those affected back to safety at the earliest.”
The state has activated helplines through the State Emergency Operations Centre in Gandhinagar, in addition to district-level helplines, to assist families seeking information about people in Nepal.
Families can contact the State Emergency Centre on 079-23251900, 9978405304 or the emergency helpline 1070.
The administration has asked families affected by the crisis to remain in contact with the designated emergency centres as authorities continue efforts to verify the status and location of those who remain uncontactable.
--IANS
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