CHENNAI: The state government has so far identified 319 Tamils who were in Nepal when severe floods struck the country, of whom around 219 have been traced and are safe, School Education Minister A Rajmohan said on Saturday. Efforts are under way to locate the remaining and facilitate the return of those who have been rescued.
Rajmohan, who is in Delhi coordinating the rescue and relief efforts, said the travellers would be brought back to Tamil Nadu depending on the availability of flights.
“There have been instances where people were found alive several days after such major tragedies. Our minister for Non-Resident Tamils Welfare K Thennarasu will also be in Delhi to coordinate the efforts,” he said.
The minister said rescue teams were also recovering bodies from locations several kilometres away from the areas initially affected by the floods. The government was coordinating with authorities to ascertain whether any of the deceased were Tamils and to facilitate identification and repatriation.
Asked whether the government had been able to establish the exact number of Tamils who were in Nepal, Rajmohan said the exercise was still under way as some people had travelled individually while others had gone as part of groups.
“We have identified most of those who travelled in groups. However, some had travelled individually, including from places such as Bengaluru and Maharashtra. Our intention is to ensure that all of them are rescued, and we are coordinating with the centre in this regard,” he said.
The minister said the government’s efforts were not confined to Tamils residing in Tamil Nadu. Some Tamils from other parts of India, including Maharashtra, as well as Tamils from Malaysia, were also in Nepal when the floods occurred. Officials were working to establish their whereabouts and coordinate their rescue as well.