No word from Thane couple on first trip to Nepal, kin await clarity

As rescue efforts continue into the third day of the devastating floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, families of the missing pilgrims from Maharashtra remain in a state of uncertainty, with many still untraceable. Aparna and Sameer Joshi, a Thane-based couple, are among those whose whereabouts are unknown, having embarked on their first-ever trip to Nepal for the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra.

Sameer's brother, Sachin Joshi, reported that they last heard from Aparna on August 26, when she sent a photograph via WhatsApp at around 7:30 am. The couple, both working in the services sector, were eagerly anticipating this journey. Their family has received multiple calls from the Chief Minister's office and the tour operator, Richa Tours and Travels, but these have offered little in the way of concrete updates.

Maharashtra's disaster management department has confirmed that over 290 tourists from the state are currently stranded in Nepal, with more than 60 of them being from the Kailash-Mansarovar trek organized by Hills and Trails, a Mumbai-based partner of Nepalese agency Richa Tours and Travels. These individuals are currently untraceable.

The official added that 395 people from Maharashtra have been confirmed to be stuck in Nepal, with 105 of them expected to return to India, while the remaining 290 are safe but stranded in various parts of the country. The Patankar family, consisting of retired IT consultants Rekha and Satish, is also among the missing. Their communication ceased after they visited the immigration office around 8:30 am, only to learn of the floods later in the day.

Their children, Apporva and Ankur Patankar, based in the US, are actively seeking help to locate their parents, with the situation becoming increasingly dire as reports of missing tourists from the Timure area began to pour in. The family's children are now turning to social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, to share missing posters and coordinate efforts to find their loved ones.