The death toll from the massive Nepal-Tibet flash floods rose to 362 on Thursday, including 359 in Nepal and three in neighbouring Tibet, as rescuers launched a desperate race against time to trace hundreds still missing, including 290 Indian nationals.
What the actor said
Actor Ankur Ratan narrowly escaped the devastation. The actor, who was part of Mai, told Indian Express that just a day earlier he was taking pictures at Rasuwa—a district north of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu. He was part of a group led by SAAD Mountaineers, a registered club in Maharashtra. It has halted at Saga town—located at 15,223 feet above sea level—a crucial stop for pilgrims travelling to Mount Kailash.
He shared, “All of us were so gung-ho about the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Only a day ago, my wife, a cousin and I were taking pictures there. My mother-in-law Dr Amita Suchak completed the Kailash Mansarovar Parikrama in 1989, and apart from the spiritual value, we are avid trekkers and looking forward to completing the walking circuit.”
“We are currently moving towards Mansarovar and will eventually begin our parikrama of Mount Kailash. I would love to undertake the entire 52-km parikrama in memory of all those who have lost their lives while attempting this sacred and arduous yatra. It would be my humble way of paying tribute to them and keeping their memory with us through the journey,” he added.
More details
The disaster also left 558 people missing in Tibet, officials said, taking the number of people reported missing on the two sides of the border to 1,468.
The disaster has also triggered an urgent effort by India to trace its nationals, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) saying 290 Indian nationals remain uncontactable.
New Delhi is making “urgent efforts” to ascertain their whereabouts and coordinate their rescue, the ministry said.
The MEA said 84 Indian nationals had been rescued, including 63 workers employed at the under-construction Trishuli-I run-of-river hydroelectric project and 21 from Tamil Nadu.