BENGALURU: Around 290 persons from
Karnataka, who were on a pilgrimage to Kailash Manasarovar, are reported to have stranded in Nepalganj and Simikot areas of Nepal on Monday. The state’s revenue department has confirmed that all the pilgrims from the state are safe.
The pilgrimage had been suspended for the last two days following incessant rains and landslides in areas such as Parsa, Sindhuli, Banke, Kailkali, Nawalparasi, Nuwakot, Dang and Syangia areas on the Indo-Nepal border. The rains have reportedly claimed seven lives so far and have left over 1,200 pilgrims stranded in the region.
The state government has set up a helpline (080-22340676) for the family members of the pilgrims to know the status of those who have gone on pilgrimage. Speaking to TOI, an official manning the helplines said: “We have learnt that several persons from Kalaburagi, Hubballi-Dharwad and Bengaluru are part of the pilgrimage. The revenue department has got in touch with the Indian embassy officials to ensure the safety of the citizens.”
Meanwhile, chief minister H D Kumaraswamy has directed the resident commissioner of Karnataka in Delhi to coordinate with officials in Kathmandu and expedite rescue operations.