2 NRI women hailing from Chhattisgarh missing in flood

The Chhattisgarh government has stepped up monitoring and relief efforts for residents of the state who are in Nepal amid the prevailing flood and landslide situation there.

Two Non-Resident Indian (NRI) women linked to Chhattisgarh have been reported missing following flash floods in Nepal, while two other women from the state who were earlier reported missing have established contact with their families, officials said on Friday.

The Chhattisgarh government has stepped up monitoring and relief efforts for residents of the state who are in Nepal amid the prevailing flood and landslide situation there, they said.

A sudden massive flood swept down the Bhote Koshi river in Rasuwa district bordering Tibet on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people and causing widespread damage.

On the direction of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, the state government has been continuously gathering information about Chhattisgarh-linked people in Nepal and coordinating with the administration there and central agencies, an official said.

According to the information available so far, the whereabouts of nine people linked to Chhattisgarh have been ascertained.

Two of them have established contact with their families, while five residents of Raipur have been confirmed safe and have started their return journey, he said.

Two NRIs, one each from Bilaspur and Surguja districts, however, have been reported missing, he said.

Priyanka Chaudhary, 39, who hails from Bilaspur and is a citizen of Finland, and Dr Meena Gupta, a native of Surguja and a British citizen, have been reported missing, he said.

Based on the information provided by their families, the government has been coordinating with the concerned authorities, he said.

Gupta's last known location was the Rasuwagadhi immigration office on the Nepal-China border, and authorities have been coordinating with the concerned agencies to ascertain her whereabouts, he said.

Gupta's relative Praveen Mittal told reporters in Ambikapur that she had reached Delhi on August 14 and was part of a group of around 77 people associated with the Isha Foundation that travelled from Delhi to Kathmandu.

The group completed the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra on August 23 and went to the immigration office on August 25 to complete formalities for crossing the Nepal-Tibet border, when the disaster struck, Mittal said.

Dr Gupta had her initial education at Holy Cross School in Ambikapur and has been residing in England since becoming a doctor, he said.

State's Tourism and Culture Minister Rajesh Agrawal said he had spoken to Dr Gupta's father, Kartaram Gupta, a local BJP leader, and assured him of all possible assistance.

Two women Monika Yadav, a resident of Raipur, and Manju Rai Chaudhary (65) of Bilaspur, who were reported missing on Thursday have established contact with her family, he said.

Chaudhary had gone to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, The administration has been verifying the available information in connection with the two and coordinating necessary assistance, the official said.

Five residents of Raipur's Mana area -- Dinesh Ojha, Prem Singh Jagat, Narayan Sen, Yatendra Prakash and Dinesh Singh Thakur -- have been confirmed safe.

They had travelled to Nepal on August 21 and have started their journey back to Raipur, he said.

The state government has been providing necessary assistance to the families of Chhattisgarh residents in Nepal and maintaining continuous exchange of information through district administrations and concerned departments, he said.

It has also appealed to people to immediately inform the administration if they receive any information about Chhattisgarh residents who may be stranded in Nepal.

People seeking assistance or having information can contact the state control room at toll-free number 1070 or 0771-2223471, he said.

The state government said it was making all possible efforts to assist affected citizens and their families amid the natural disaster.