Arizona Tribune - Sixteen Keralites Return From Flood-Hit Nepal as Seven Remain Uncontactable

Sixteen Keralites have returned home following the destructive flash floods in the Nepal-Tibet border region, including one person who had been among eight people with whom families could not establish contact.

NoRKA-Roots, which set up a help desk to assist Keralites stranded in Nepal, said it had confirmed that 45 people who contacted the service were safe. They had informed relatives that they were in safe locations in Nepal or elsewhere in India and were continuing efforts to travel home.

Rineeth Mohan of Piravom in Ernakulam left for Nepal on August 23. He was near Pokhara when relatives informed him about the flooding, prompting him to turn back.

Mohan lost his phone while traveling toward New Delhi and could not contact his family. He boarded a train from the capital on Thursday and arrived in Kerala on Saturday afternoon.

A group of 14 travelers from Kochi has also returned. Sruthi Shikhamani of Kakkanad, Kochi, came back after traveling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. She had been in Kathmandu when the floods struck.

Authorities still had no information about seven people. Four of those are Malayalis who hold Australian citizenship. Their details have been sent to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

Following directions from the Chief Minister’s Office, NoRKA-Roots arranged onward travel to Kerala for residents entering India from Nepal. The agency asked people needing assistance to contact its help desk or the Non-Resident Keralites Development Office in Delhi.

F.Ramirez--AT