“We are physically and mentally exhausted. We appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene and airlift us,” said Pooja Bhosale, a member of a six-member Pune group stranded in Jilong city in Tibet after a devastating flash flood washed away the local immigration office, leaving them unable to proceed with their journey back to India.
The group had reached Kailash Mansarovar on August 23, but was forced to travel nearly 800 km to Jilong after two women in the group experienced breathlessness and required medical attention. They reached Jilong on August 25, where the two women were treated by local doctors. The doctors subsequently advised them to return to India at the earliest for further treatment.
“Two of our female members experienced breathlessness after we reached Kailash Mansarovar. We travelled nearly 800 km and reached Jilong on August 25. They were treated by doctors here, who have advised us to return to India as soon as possible for further treatment,” Bhosale said on Thursday.
The group was preparing to complete immigration formalities on the morning of August 26 when the flash flood struck the area.
“We were getting ready to go to the immigration office when the flash flood occurred. The flood waters washed away the immigration office. Since then, we have been stranded in Jilong city and do not know how we will be able to complete the formalities and return to India,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}“We were getting ready to go to the immigration office when the flash flood occurred. The flood waters washed away the immigration office. Since then, we have been stranded in Jilong city and do not know how we will be able to complete the formalities and return to India,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Bhosale said the group was increasingly anxious, particularly because two members needed further medical treatment. “The doctors have clearly advised us to return to India. We are worried about their health and are already exhausted after travelling such a long distance. We need help to get out of here,” she said.
“We request Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene and help us. If necessary, please airlift us. We have been stranded here since yesterday and are physically and mentally exhausted,” Bhosale said.
The group is among several tourists from Maharashtra affected by the floods and landslides in the Nepal-Tibet region.
Maharashtra disaster management minister Girish Mahajan said authorities had managed to establish contact with four people from Jalgaon, who informed officials that more than 37 other members travelling with them were safe.
“Of the 80 people from Maharashtra who are in Nepal, we have so far been able to contact four people from Jalgaon. They are safe and have informed us that more than 37 others with them are also safe. We are trying to establish contact with the remaining people,” Mahajan said.
Meanwhile, a five-member family from Pachora in Jalgaon, currently in Kathmandu, cancelled its planned trip to Pokhara after learning about damage to the road connecting the two destinations.
“Our family reached Kathmandu two days ago. We visited the Pashupatinath temple yesterday morning and learnt about the massive floods and landslides after returning. We were supposed to visit Pokhara tomorrow, but our travel agent advised us to cancel the trip as the Kathmandu-Pokhara road has been damaged,” said Anil Mahajan, a member of the family.
He said the state disaster management department had contacted the family to check on their well-being. “We received a call from an official of the state disaster management department this afternoon. They enquired about the safety of all the family members and asked us to contact them in case we needed any assistance,” he said.
A 10-member women’s group from Satara, currently in Pokhara, has also reported that its members are safe. The group is planning to return to Kathmandu once the road connection is restored.
“The area where the flash flood occurred is more than 250 km from Pokhara, so we are safe here. However, the Pokhara-Kathmandu road is currently closed. Local authorities have told us that it is likely to reopen tomorrow, and we plan to return to Kathmandu then,” said Megha Chorge, a member of the group.
Satara guardian minister Sambhuraj Desai and district collector Santosh Patil have spoken to Chorge and other members of the group and advised them to remain in touch with the administration in case of an emergency.
While a five-member group from Amravati district returned safely on Wednesday, authorities are still trying to ascertain the status of four people from Pune who were travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
The continuing disruption has left several Maharashtra tourists dependent on local authorities and state and central agencies for safe passage, with damaged roads, washed-away infrastructure and disrupted communication making rescue and evacuation efforts difficult.