More than 100 people have been killed and over 750 remain missing after devastating flash floods struck parts of Nepal following a major incident in the Tibet region. Among those unaccounted for are 133 Indian nationals, including a 32-member group from Kolkata travelling to Kailash Mansarovar.

The group, comprising 30 tourists and two tour managers, left Kolkata on August 21 and reached Nepal the following day. According to a West Bengal government official, the group travelled to Rasuwagadhi, near the Nepal-Tibet border, on Wednesday morning to cross into Tibet.

The group was reportedly at the immigration office at around 8:30 am when the flash flood hit the area.

“There has been no communication with any of the 32 members since the flash flood struck the area,” an official said.

Authorities are working to establish contact with people from West Bengal who may have been in the affected areas. However, rescue and communication efforts have been severely hampered by damaged infrastructure and difficult conditions on the ground.

Kolkata Kailash Mansarovar Group Remains Untraceable

The Kolkata group was travelling through a city-based travel agency that arranged the journey. The agency said it had contacted Nepal Tourism authorities and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu but had not yet received confirmed information about the missing travellers.

Dibya Jyoti Basu, a representative of the Kolkata-based travel agency, said the tour was organised through Samrat Travel Agency in Kathmandu.

According to Basu, the group included 30 tourists and two tour managers, Jayanta Sanyal and Nripen Sarkar.

The two tour managers reportedly had mobile roaming facilities and were last contacted at around 8 am. Some members of the group were also believed to have gone live on Facebook around the same time.

Communication was lost shortly after the flash floods struck the region.

The agency handling the international arrangements has reportedly dispatched a helicopter to the affected area in an effort to locate the group.

West Bengal Government Coordinates Rescue Efforts

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed deep concern over the deaths and the situation involving tourists and other residents from the state.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives,” Adhikari said in a social media post, offering condolences to families who lost relatives and loved ones.

The chief minister said the West Bengal government was closely monitoring developments and coordinating with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and Nepalese authorities.

The state is also working to assist tourists, pilgrims, workers and businesspeople from West Bengal who may have been caught in the disaster.

Apart from the Kolkata group, residents of Chandannagar in Hooghly district and Barasat in North 24 Parganas are also believed to be among those stranded or missing in Nepal.

Flash Floods Devastate Nepal

The flash floods caused widespread destruction across parts of Nepal, affecting towns and villages and damaging critical infrastructure.

Several bridges were washed away, while around a dozen hydropower projects were reportedly affected. The scale of destruction has made access to some areas extremely difficult for rescue teams.

The disaster also disrupted telephone and internet connectivity, making it difficult for families and authorities to establish contact with people in the affected regions.

More than 750 people, including 133 Indian nationals, were reported missing amid the disaster, while the death toll crossed 100.

Possible Link Between Earthquake and Flash Floods

Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told Parliament that an earthquake was recorded in the Tibet region at approximately 8:37 am local time, followed by reports of flash floods around three minutes later.

The close timing has raised the possibility that the earthquake may have triggered a glacial lake outburst or similar event, resulting in the sudden release of large amounts of water and causing severe flooding downstream.

Authorities are continuing to assess the exact cause and extent of the disaster.

Helpline Numbers for West Bengal Families

With communication disrupted in several affected areas, the West Bengal government has opened helplines at the state police headquarters at Bhabani Bhavan.

Families seeking information about relatives who may have been affected by the Nepal flash floods can contact:

Authorities are continuing efforts to locate missing Indian nationals and establish contact with people from West Bengal who were travelling or working in the affected areas.

The situation remains fluid as rescue teams work to reach isolated locations and assess the full extent of damage caused by the Nepal flash floods.

(Inputs From Sources )