BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday spoke to Kannadigas stranded in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and assured them that the state government would provide all necessary assistance to ensure their safe return home.
The stranded persons told the CM that they were in Saga, the southern part of Tibet and were planning to travel to Nyalam before entering Nepal. They told the CM that the journey could take around 12–15 hours and that there was a high possibility of them getting stranded again along the route due to the landslides. “Please, can you arrange an airlift once we reach the Nepal side?” they requested the CM.
Shivakumar urged them to remain brave and not lose hope, and said he would assess the situation and take necessary action. He instructed officials to arrange accommodation for Kannadigas arriving in Delhi.
The conversation comes amid flash floods and landslides along the Nepal-Tibet border and adjoining areas of the TAR, which have caused loss of life, damaged critical infrastructure and disrupted road connectivity.
Karnataka government’s latest update at 10 am on Saturday said, the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) has collated details of 28 persons from Karnataka who are stranded or missing in Nepal and Tibet. Of these, 23 are from Bengaluru Urban, two from Mysuru and one each from Dharwad, Udupi and Vijayanagara districts.
Most of the stranded persons are reported to be in Timure in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, while a few are in Darchen, Tibet. Four of the 28 have been confirmed safe and are transiting to Nepal, while search is underway to locate the remaining 24.
The CM, Deputy CM and Revenue Minister are closely monitoring the situation and are in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Resident Commissioner, Karnataka Bhavan, New Delhi. The government has advised Kannadigas in the affected areas to remain in safe locations, follow the instructions of local authorities and Indian Missions, and avoid travelling through affected routes. The State Emergency Operations Centre is functioning round-the-clock.
