An NRI couple from Vadodara has gone missing in Nepal after devastating flash floods hit the country, prompting their family to appeal to the Indian government for swift rescue efforts.
Kinnari Patel and her husband Mihir Patel, who are based in New Zealand, travelled to Kathmandu before heading towards Kailash Dham, according to Kinnari's brother Chirag Patel.
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"My sister, Kinnari Patel, and her husband, Mihir Patel, had travelled directly to Kathmandu from New Zealand. They are NRIs based in New Zealand, where they have lived for 30 years, and they had made their bookings directly. We spoke to the hotel staff in Kathmandu; they informed us that the couple had stayed there for three days, checked out, and were now unreachable," he told reporters on Friday.
Patel said the Nepalese and Indian administrations have assured the family that they are working on the matter and will provide updates.
"We have received cooperation from both the Nepalese and Indian administrations; full cooperation is currently underway. They have gathered all the details and assured me that they will contact us as soon as there is an update," he said.
According to Patel, the couple left for Kailash on August 21. Kinnari had planned to return to India for Raksha Bandhan after visiting Kailash Dham.
"My sister had said she was coming for Raksha Bandhan but intended to visit Kailash Dham first; she planned to go to Kailash and then return to India. They set out for Kailash on August 21," he said.
The family has urged the government to intensify rescue operations and use more resources to locate the couple.
"The government has promised to try and resolve the situation as soon as possible. There is only one appeal to the government: deploy the maximum number of helicopters, send in the Army in full force, and take action there as early as possible," he said.
