S. Korean rescue teams struggling to reach Nepal flood site as 9 remain missing

Sai Prasad Somayajulu, a 60-year-old Canadian resident of Hyderabad, is one of 16 Telangana NRIs reported missing in the recent Nepal floods. Somayajulu, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, had planned to journey to Kailash Mansarovar before the disaster struck. His nephew Praveen told The Indian Express that his brother was preparing for a challenging trek when the floods arrived.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs reports that over 450 deaths have been attributed to the disaster, which was triggered by an earthquake and an avalanche. The death toll is a significant concern, especially considering that hundreds remain missing. According to the Indian Ministry, 288 NRIs have been reported missing, many of them pilgrims like Somayajulu.

Somayajulu's family last heard from him an hour before the floods struck while he was at the immigration office at the Nepal-China border. His phone has remained silent since then, and his family is understandably worried. The search for the missing continues, but authorities are facing difficulties due to bureaucratic hurdles. Indian officials explain that since the missing individuals hold foreign passports, the Nepal authorities are currently only in contact with the US embassy regarding their whereabouts. This situation has left many families reaching out to the Telangana government for assistance.

Not all hope is lost, however, as some of the untraceable NRIs have managed to contact their families. Alli Ilasha, a 35-year-old businessman, was able to reach his sister A Vanaja and inform her that he had moved approximately 40 km ahead of the landslide. Another family in Guntur is relieved to have found their woman traveler, Aparna Kakani, who has texted her family to confirm she is safe. The search also extends to Tirupati, where a group of 28 people were traced to Kathmandu and are reportedly staying at a hotel.