23 missing, 18 of them NRIs: Gujarat families’ wait for a call from Nepal

Flash floods in Nepal have left 23 persons with roots in Gujarat — 18 of them NRIs — missing, according to a list compiled by the State Emergency Operation Centre on Friday. On the list are Indian nationals and citizens of the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, many of whom were travelling to Kailash Mansarovar through the Kerung route.

Their families in Gujarat and abroad are now stuck in an agonising wait for a phone call. Some of those now listed as missing spoke to their families minutes before the flash floods swept through parts of Nepal, damaging roads and disrupting communication in the mountainous region.

According to the fresh list on Friday, 11 from the US – Bimalkumar Patel and Jaimina Patel from Anand; Paresh Natvarlal Patel and Jyoti Paresh Patel from Surat; Dinesh Patel from Amreli; Ishan Patel and Shilpa Patel from Kheda; Amita Amin, Tejal Patel and Jitendra Patel from Gandhinagar; and Bina Parikh from Ahmedabad – are yet to be found.

Four Canadian citizens of Indian origin — Umesh Patel and his wife Akansha from Kheda, and Jagdish Patel and his wife Padma from Anand – are on the list. Also on the list are Bhavinkumar Raval, an Australian citizen with roots in Gandhinagar, and Kinnari Patel and Mihir Patel, New Zealand citizens of Indian origin.

The remaining five are Indian nationals – Ashok Dhirajlal Kapadi from Ahmedabad, Jay Dinesh Kotecha from Rajkot, Roma Dilip Intwala from Valsad, Minaxi Sanjay Ramani from Surat and Kamtaprasad Babulal Chauhan from Amreli.

The families of most people on the list said they were approaching the northern Nepal route towards the China border. The list does not specify the location of all missing persons. Ashok Dhirajlal Kapadi last spoke to his family at 8.30 am on August 26 when he was “about to reach” the immigration centre near the China border.

A family member told The Indian Express that cousins Jay Kotecha and Roma Intwala were near the Sino-Nepal Friendship Bridge. Amita Amin, Tejal Patel and Jitendra Patel were also reported to be near Friendship Bridge. Poonam Thakkar was last known to be at Hotel Kailash in Taimure near the Rasuwagadhi border.

Kinnari and Mihir Patel, as well as Bhavinkumar Raval, were travelling via the Kerung-Kyirong route to Mansarovar. For Paresh Patel, Jyoti Patel and Minaxi Sanjay Ramani, the list records a Kailash Mansarovar itinerary and loss of contact, but no specific location.

Dinesh Patel, Umesh Patel, Akansha Patel, Ishan Patel, Shilpa Patel, Padma Patel and Jagdish Patel are recorded as having travelled to Nepal or on the Kailash Mansarovar route. Kamtaprasad Chauhan was reportedly travelling with a group scheduled to proceed from Ayodhya to Nepal.

He last spoke to his family on August 11. US-based couple Bimalkumar Patel, 47, and Jaiminaben Patel, 43, had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Bimalkumar's brother-in-law, Nilesh Patel, earlier told this newspaper that the couple arrived in India on July 28 and left for Nepal on August 16.

“They had finished with local sightseeing in Nepal and were on their way to the immigration office for visas to travel to Kailash Mansarovar. They had an 8.30 am appointment… We have not been able to contact them thereafter," he said.

Their 12-year-old son, who travelled to India with his parents, stayed back in Anand and did not accompany them. The family has since been waiting for information about them. The Gujarat government has issued the following helpline numbers for affected citizens and their families: 079232-51900, 9978405304 and 1070.

Families may also contact their respective District Emergency Operation Centre on 1077. For Indian citizens affected in Nepal, emergency helpline numbers +977 985 131 6807 and +977 970 910 7500 have also been issued. Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field.

She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.

Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground.

Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure.

Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case).

Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions.

Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the...