The last messages Swati Bagrecha sent home were meant to reassure her family in Madhya Pradesh. The 50-year-old informed them that the immigration process was underway and that the group was about to reach Nepal. She mentioned that the journey back had been tiring, the internet connection was poor, and she was going to sleep. They were expected to reach Nepal late that night, and she planned to text them the next morning.
““She was going to sleep and wouldn’t be able to talk because of connectivity issues along the route, and they were scheduled to reach Nepal late at night. She messaged that she would only be able to text the next day, as she had an early flight out. That was the last message,” said Swati’s sister Dr. Smita Bagrecha.
Swati is one of 320 Indians still unaccounted for after flash floods swept through Tibet and Nepal. The death toll from these floods has climbed to 538, with 977 people still missing. So far, around 3,742 individuals have been rescued. During a media briefing, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that 400 Indians on the Chinese side are safe. In addition to the 320 Indians still missing, more than 100 people of Indian origin also remain unaccounted for.
Swati is the younger daughter of Dr. K.C. Bagrecha, a retired Chief Medical and Health Officer of Vidisha. She grew up in the Madhya Pradesh town before moving abroad. Currently residing in Toronto, Canada, she returned to India this month to undertake the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. An engineer by profession, she left her daughter with relatives in Vidisha while traveling with a 77-member group.
