No word from Thane couple on first trip to Nepal, kin await clarity
Families of Indian pilgrims are seeking information about loved ones missing in Nepal following severe flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border. While some tourists have been confirmed safe, many remain untraceable, prompting concern from state officials and relatives.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the risks associated with high-altitude pilgrimage tourism and the challenges of disaster response in remote border regions.
Even as rescue efforts entered the third day in the flood-ravaged areas along the Nepal-Tibet border, families of pilgrims from Maharashtra remained without information about their loved ones, with several still untraceable. Among those whose whereabouts remain unknown are Thane-based Aparna and Sameer Joshi, who had travelled to the region for the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra. Sameer’s brother Sachin Joshi said the family last heard from him on August 26, when he sent them a photograph at around 7.30 am. “His last WhatsApp status was also from around that time,” said Sachin. Both Aparna and Sameer work in the services sector and, according to relatives, had been looking forward to the trip, their first visit to Nepal. Their family has since received multiple calls from the office of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Richa Tours and Travels, the tour operator through which they had travelled, but these have offered little clarity.
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