Eleven Bengaluru Urban residents stranded in Nepal and Tibet; four NRI pilgrims untraceable

Eleven people from Bengaluru Urban district are among 13 Karnataka residents stranded in Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region after flash floods disrupted travel routes near the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.

Most of the Karnataka group is in Timure, in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, while a few are in Darchen in Tibet, the chief minister’s office said. The other stranded residents are from Mysuru and Dharwad districts, and are travelling in larger groups that include people from other states.

Four Bengaluru-origin Kannadigas living in the US, who travelled to Nepal for the pilgrimage, remain untraceable. They had visited the Chinese embassy in the flood-affected area on August 26 but have not been in touch with friends or family since. Their friends have approached the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority for help tracing them.

The state emergency operations centre is sharing details with the ministry of external affairs’ rapid response cells and Indian missions in Kathmandu and Beijing. It has also contacted Mallinath Kolakundi and Sangamesh Kanakapura, two Karnataka residents stranded in the floods. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar spoke to Kolakundi by video call.

Families seeking assistance can call 1070 or 080 22253707, or email seockarnataka@gmail.com.