Flash Floods in Nepal Hit 300 Maharashtra Tourists, Over 60 Untraced

Approximately 300 tourists from Maharashtra have been affected by flash floods that hit Nepal on August 26, prompting the state government to activate a 24/7 emergency control room at Mantralaya in Mumbai to trace citizens and coordinate rescue efforts with central authorities.

According to figures released by the State Emergency Operation Centre, at least 114 citizens from Maharashtra were reported stranded. Of these, 53 have been confirmed safe in the Saga–Mansarovar sector, while around 150 people at Mansarovar were reported safe and another 150 tourists reached safety towards the Tibet side. However, over 60 citizens remained untraced.

Among those untraced were approximately 66 Kailash-Mansarovar yatris who departed on August 23, travelling in three buses with 22 passengers each. The passenger manifest showed tourists from Mumbai, Pune, and parts of south India. The tour was led by Andheri-based Dr Milind Chitley through Mumbai-based agency Richa Tours.

Trip organiser Richa Tours stated that the sudden deluge completely destroyed a border post complex. At the time of the incident, the complex housed Dr Chitley’s group alongside 60 Indians, five US nationals, two New Zealand citizens, 12 supporting staff, and roughly 500 other pilgrims.

State authorities managed to establish contact with four of seven separately identified tourists from Mumbai and Pune to confirm their safety, while three others remained uncontactable. Additionally, 49 tourists from Maharashtra who were part of another group of 61 people were confirmed safe.

The state disaster management authority used an app link distributed to tourists through families and local officials to assess safety statuses and track real-time locations on monitors inside the Mantralaya control room. Personnel at the control room fielded continuous queries from anxious family members seeking information on the whereabouts of their stranded relatives.