Chennai:
With at least 83 people from Tamil Nadu and three from Puducherry still unaccounted for in flood-hit Nepal, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has deputed four ministers to New Delhi to coordinate rescue and relief efforts with the Centre.
Making a detailed statement in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday, School Education Minister Raj Mohan said a total of 106 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry had travelled to Nepal. Of them, 103 are from 10 districts of Tamil Nadu, including Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvannamalai and Chennai, while three are from Puducherry.
The minister said 20 passengers travelling in one of the buses was hit by the avalanche-triggered floods had been rescued safely. They had taken refuge at a reserve police camp and were being provided shelter and medical assistance. Steps are under way to bring them to Kathmandu through an alternative route.
Raj Mohan said the Tamil Nadu government was now focused on tracing the whereabouts of the remaining 86 missing pilgrims and was working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Nepal.
Explaining the sequence of events, he said the pilgrims were travelling in a convoy of three buses when the second vehicle was struck by floodwaters triggered by the avalanche. All 20 passengers on that bus were rescued.
Two travel agencies had coordinated the pilgrimage. Thanjavur-based Super Yathirai Agency had arranged the travel of 57 people, including the three pilgrims from Puducherry, while Chennai-based Mahadev Kailash Yathirai had organised the trip for 49 people. Raj Mohan said there was still no information on the whereabouts of the 49 pilgrims, and all efforts were being made to locate them.
Following a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vijay, four ministers, including Aadhav Arjuna, were directed to leave for New Delhi to coordinate with the central government for rescue operations and the safe return of the pilgrims. Tamil Nadu’s Resident Commissioner in Delhi, Ashish Kumar, will lead an official team to Nepal to oversee relief and rescue efforts.
Before leaving for Delhi, Raj Mohan said, “We will expedite the process and bring back everyone, including the retired High Court judge. The rescued pilgrims would be traumatised. We will provide all medical and emergency care. We have taken the responsibility of bringing them home.”
