Kathmandu, August 31
Three members of one family from Solukhumbu, along with two of their relatives, have been out of contact since the devastating flood in Rasuwa.
According to Ranjita Budhathoki Magar, a family member of those missing, her three older brothers are unreachable, along with two other relatives.
The three brothers and one relative had been travelling with Indian tourists on a Mount Kailash trip in Tibet. Another relative was preparing to travel to China and was in the process of obtaining a visa; his last known location was Timure. The other four’s last known location was in the border area.
Four of them had set out from Kathmandu on August 17 for the Kailash trip. According to Ranjita, a call connected around 8 a.m. on August 27, but they weren’t able to speak.
“After learning about the flood, I kept calling, but no one picked up. Around 11 a.m., the phone switched off,” she said.
With many days having passed without any word from her relatives, Ranjita has appealed: “Let the state tell us what has happened to the people who are out of contact.”
According to Ranjita, a list of uncontacted individuals has come from a China-based site.
“The missing list from the China site includes the names of my three brothers and one relative. The other relative’s name isn’t on it,” she said.
The devastating flood that struck the Gosaikunda Rural Municipality area of Rasuwa on August 27 caused massive loss of life and property. Debris accompanying the flood suddenly increased the flow of the Bhotekoshi River, damaging settlements, roads, bridges, and hydropower projects along its banks.
The flood affected not only local settlements and infrastructure but also tourists on the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route. Several Nepali and foreign tourists travelling through the area at the time have lost contact since the flood. Details are still awaited on the status of those who had gone through Rasuwa toward China for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, as well as other tourists.
Flood damage to roads, bridges, and communication infrastructure has made it difficult to establish contact.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing in the affected areas. The administration says it is collecting details on the status of uncontacted tourists.
