West Bengal tourists missing in Nepal floods

Following devastating flash floods and landslides in Nepal, 37 tourists from West Bengal remain missing. While contact has been established with two individuals from the North 24 Parganas district, the majority of the group, which includes pilgrims and two tour operator employees, has not yet been located.

The missing individuals are residents of various areas including Kolkata, Sonarpur, Basirhat, Durgapur, Tarakeswar, and Siliguri. Most were traveling as part of a pilgrimage group organized by the Kolkata-based tour agency ‘Chalo Jai’.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that the state government is coordinating with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and Nepalese authorities to verify the exact number of affected people. The state has established a dedicated control room at the West Bengal Police Headquarters in South Kolkata and released two helpline numbers.

The West Bengal government has also requested permission from the Ministry of External Affairs to dispatch a coordination team to Kathmandu. This proposed team would include a cabinet member, a Secretary-level IAS officer, and an Inspector General of Police (IGP).