BENGALURU: As many as 35 people from Karnataka, part of a 70-member tourist group stranded in Tibet, have alleged that the state government has not been adequately responsive in facilitating their evacuation from the disaster-struck site.
The group, currently in Nyalam in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), said they have filled the Karnataka government’s registration form for stranded persons.
According to Krishna, a Bengaluru resident who travelled with the group, told TNIE on Friday that they subsequently received multiple calls, including calls from the Karnataka government asking what assistance they required. “We told them (multiple callers) we wanted evacuation, but after that there was no update,” he said.
Krishna said they contacted several departments and were given multiple numbers to reach out to. They also sent emails to around 45 official addresses seeking assistance, but did not receive a response (till Friday).
His allegations come amid the claims of the Karnataka government that the state, including the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister is closely monitoring the situation and is in constant touch with the MEA and Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi for the rescue and safe return of people from the state.
The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) has so far collated details of 28 people from Karnataka stranded or missing in Nepal and the TAR. According to SEOC data, of the 28, 23 are from Bengaluru, two from Mysuru, one each from Dharwad, Udupi, and Vijayanagara.
Most of the stranded/missing persons are reported to be in Timure, Rasuwa District, Nepal, while a few are in Darchen, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Four have been confirmed safe, while efforts are underway to trace the remaining 24.
The larger group of 70 tourists includes people from Karnataka, Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi. They were forced to leave Saga after Chinese authorities reportedly asked them to vacate the area by Friday morning. They subsequently reached Nyalam the same day.
The group said they encountered landslides at around five locations while travelling towards the Nepal border. They had to cross knee-deep mud and falling debris near Rasuwagadhi and walk nearly four kilometres through difficult terrain.
The tourists are now seeking assistance to reach Kathmandu, particularly with limited flight availability and high fares. Several members of the group are senior citizens, they said, making travel through the affected routes more difficult.
The group is currently coordinating with its Bengaluru-based tour operator and local guides while waiting for clarity on the route ahead.
They said that they also tried to reach the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Beijing since the flash floods and landslides disrupted movement along the Nepal-Tibet border.
