Flash Floods: CMO Says 13 From Karnataka Stranded in Nepal, Tibet

Bengaluru: At least 13 people from Karnataka, 11 of them from Bengaluru Urban district, are stranded in Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's office said on Thursday.

The state government has stepped up efforts to rescue its residents stranded in Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region following flash floods in Nepal that killed several people and left many others stranded.

According to a statement issued by the CMO, the State Emergency Operations Centre had, as of Thursday evening, compiled details of 13 Karnataka residents stranded in Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region. The stranded residents are part of groups that also comprise people from other states.

"Of these, 11 are from Bengaluru Urban district, one from Mysuru district and one from Dharwad district. Most of the stranded persons are located in Timure, Rasuwa district, Nepal, while a few are in Darchen, Tibet Autonomous Region," the statement said.

The SEOC and the Office of the Resident Commissioner, Karnataka Bhavan, New Delhi, are regularly sharing details of those stranded with the Rapid Response Cells of the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian missions in Kathmandu and Beijing, it said.

The details have been shared with the Integrated Control Room of the Ministry of Home Affairs to facilitate assistance, evacuation and the safe return of Karnataka residents, the statement said.

The state government urged those stranded, their relatives and tour operators to provide the required details through a Google Form to help coordinate rescue and evacuation efforts with the authorities concerned.

It advised Karnataka residents in the affected areas to remain in safe locations and follow instructions and advisories issued by local authorities and Indian missions. They were advised against travelling through affected routes unless advised or assisted by competent authorities.

The statement said Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and his deputy, G Parameshwara, were closely monitoring the situation and were in constant touch with the MEA and the Resident Commissioner, Karnataka Bhavan, New Delhi, regarding the safety and welfare of Karnataka residents.

Earlier in the day, Parameshwara had said five people from Bengaluru who had travelled to Nepal were missing, and efforts were under way to contact them.

"Five people from Bengaluru who had gone to Nepal are missing. We are trying to contact them," Parameshwara told reporters here.

The statement came before the CMO issued its update on the 13 Karnataka residents stranded in Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Parameshwara said a senior government officer and, if necessary, a minister would be deputed to Kathmandu to oversee relief and rescue operations for those stranded there.

For assistance, people can contact the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) at 1070 / 080-22253707 or email seockarnataka@gmail.com, the government said.

Rescue and relief operations continued in flood-ravaged Nepal, with affected families in the worst-hit districts struggling for food, shelter and access to relief.

The flash floods, which struck on Wednesday, were triggered after an avalanche blocked the flow of the Lhende tributary of the Bhotekoshi river, first hitting Timure, near Nepal's border with China at Rasuwagadhi, the Kathmandu Post reported.