Foreign Minister NP Saud has requested the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand to rescue Nepalis missing in a landslide in the Indian state.

The foreign minister held a telephonic conversation with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday and urged for a speedy search and rescue.

At least 19 people have gone missing after a landslide washed away three hotels in Gaurikund, a pilgrimage site that serves as a basecamp for a trek to Kedarnath Temple. According to Indian media, most of those missing are Nepalis.

Chief Minister Dhami told Foreign Minister Saud that security personnel and other agencies have been deployed to search for the missing persons, according to the foreign minister’s secretariat.

Dhami said that although his visit to the landslide-hit area was cancelled owing to inclement weather, the chief minister added he has instructed the local administration to carry out search and rescue operations.

Earlier on Friday, Foreign Minister Saud directed the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi to coordinate with the Indian government to leave no stone unturned for the search and rescue of missing Nepalis and relief to those affected by the landslide.

Published on: 7 August 2023 | The Kathmandu Post