Even as rescue efforts entered the third day in the flood-ravaged areas along the Nepal-Tibet border, families of pilgrims from Maharashtra remain without information about their loved ones, with several still untraceable. Among those whose whereabouts remain unknown are Thane-based Aparna and Sameer Joshi, who had travelled to the region for the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra.
Last Contact
Sameer’s brother Sachin Joshi stated that the family last heard from him on August 26, when he sent them a photograph at around 7:30 am. Sachin mentioned, "His last WhatsApp status was also from around that time." Both Aparna and Sameer work in the services sector and, according to relatives, had been looking forward to the trip, their first visit to Nepal.
Lack of Clarity
Their family has since received multiple calls from the office of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Richa Tours and Travels, the tour operator through which they had travelled, but these have offered little clarity. According to the Maharashtra disaster management department, over 290 tourists from the state remain stranded in the country. Of these, more than 60 Maharashtrians were part of the Kailash-Mansarovar trek organised by Hills and Trails, the Mumbai-based partner of the Nepalese agency Richa Tours and Travels, and are untraceable.
