Kolkata, August 29: Amid the devastating floods in Nepal, contact has been established with two of the 39 tourists from West Bengal who went missing. However, 37 individuals remain unaccounted for. This information was shared by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday night.
The Chief Minister indicated that the two tourists who have been reached are residents of the Bashirhat sub-division in North 24 Parganas district.
On Friday night, the Chief Minister held a virtual meeting with the families of the missing tourists. This meeting took place at the state police headquarters, Bhawani Bhavan, located in South Kolkata.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the Chief Minister stated, “This is not just a crisis for the families whose members are missing in Nepal. The entire state is concerned for them. We are making every possible effort to bring everyone back safely.”
He also mentioned that the West Bengal government intends to send a team to Nepal for rescue and coordination efforts. Permission has been sought from the central Ministry of External Affairs for this initiative. He added, “The state government wants to send a team to Nepal. We have requested permission from the Ministry of External Affairs.”
According to the Chief Minister, the proposal sent to the Ministry includes a member of the state cabinet, a secretary-level IAS officer, and a police officer of Inspector General rank in the team heading to Nepal.
He noted, “As soon as we receive permission from the Ministry of External Affairs, our team will depart for Kathmandu.”
Reports indicate that most of the 39 missing individuals are pilgrims from West Bengal who traveled to Nepal through a Kolkata-based tour operator. This group also includes two employees of the tour operator.
The severe floods and landslides in Nepal have disrupted communication in several areas, complicating the search for the missing individuals. Rescue and search operations are still ongoing.
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