Nepal Floods: 53 People From Kerala Stranded In Affected Areas Declared Safe

As many as 53 people from Kerala who are stranded in flash flood-hit parts of Nepal have been reported safe, officials said on Thursday. The group, comprising adults and children, has been unable to return amid difficult conditions and communication problems in the flood-affected region. Rajesh Madhavan, chief executive officer of NoRKA-Roots, the Kerala government’s nodal agency for the welfare of expatriate Keralites, said the agency had not yet been able to establish direct contact with all 53 travellers.

However, it had received credible information through sources at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu indicating that the group was safe. “The group includes adults and children,” Madhavan said while speaking to reporters. He explained that mobility restrictions and poor network connectivity had made it difficult for officials to communicate directly with the stranded travellers. Despite these limitations, authorities were continuing to track their situation through available channels.

Madhavan said some family members had managed to speak with members of the group over the phone until shortly before his statement. However, communication was subsequently disrupted because of network problems. The inability to maintain regular contact has caused concern among relatives, although the information received through official sources has provided some reassurance. The Kerala government is coordinating with authorities in India and Nepal to monitor the situation and assist the stranded travellers.

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Madhavan said Kerala Chief Secretary and the state’s Resident Commissioner were coordinating with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu as efforts continued to obtain more information about the group and assess the possibilities for their safe movement. The group remains stranded as Nepal continues to deal with the consequences of devastating flash floods that have affected several parts of the country. Flooding and related disruptions have affected roads, communications and transportation, making it difficult for people caught in affected areas to move to safer locations or return home.

The lack of reliable communication has emerged as one of the major challenges for families trying to establish contact with relatives in the affected region. While some members of the Kerala group were briefly able to communicate with their families, the subsequent loss of connectivity meant that officials had to rely on information obtained through diplomatic and local channels. NoRKA-Roots has been monitoring the situation involving Keralites affected by the floods and is working with other authorities to establish the status of those stranded.

Officials said the fact that family members had been able to speak to some travellers and that information from the Indian Embassy indicated the group was safe were encouraging developments. Authorities are continuing efforts to establish direct communication with the entire group and determine the safest way to assist them. For now, officials have stressed that the 53 travellers are believed to be safe, even though difficult conditions on the ground and unreliable communication have prevented authorities from maintaining regular direct contact with them.

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