Four members of a US-settled Surat family, who had gone missing while on their way home to Los Angeles, California, from
Portland in Oregon, might have been washed away in a river in spate.
Authorities are fearing the worst as an SUV matching the description of the car they were travelling in was reportedly swept away in a flood-swollen river.
Sandeep Thottapilly, 42, his wife
Soumya, 38, and their children Siddhant, 12, and Saachi, 9, went missing on April 5. According to Sandeep’s relatives, parts of their vehicle and clothes of the children have reportedly been found, but authorities have not yet been able to trace the family members. Search operations have been hampered by rough weather.
Sandeep’s father Babu Subramaniam, who lives in Surat, tweeted about the matter to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. Swaraj promised all possible help. “I am in constant touch with our consulate in San Francisco. They are coordinating with the police. Rest assured. We will spare no effort,” she wrote on Twitter.
