Tamil Nadu accounts for 220 of 350 missing Tamils in Nepal floods

The Tamil Nadu government has accounted for 220 of 350 Tamils caught in Nepal's flash floods, with rescue and tracing operations continuing for the rest, Advocate General Vijay Narayan told the Madras High Court on Wednesday.

Of the 350 Tamils, 305 who travelled from Tamil Nadu and 45 from other states and countries, 220 were confirmed safe as of 6 p.m. on September 1, 2026, the A-G told the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan.

Missing pilgrims include retired judge

A 57-member group that travelled through Super Yatra Travels in Kumbakonam, including retired Madras High Court judge V. Sivagnanam, remains partially unaccounted for. While 21 from the group have been rescued, 36 are still unreachable.

The state has issued free air tickets to Kathmandu for relatives of the missing, including the brother of Tiripurasundari, who provided a DNA sample to help identify his sister. Three other persons, among them the retired judge's son S. Gnanasambandam, also received government-funded tickets.

Government mobilises help centres

Three officials from the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi have been stationed in Kathmandu to assist in tracing efforts, and a state-run help centre has fielded 2,336 telephone calls so far, the A-G said.

All 150 pilgrims who travelled through Aathma Yoga tour operator have returned to Tamil Nadu and reached their homes. Similarly, 39 travellers on the Kailash Yatra through Ideal Tours and Trekking arrived in New Delhi between August 30 and September 1, 2026, and were received by Minister for Non Resident Tamils Welfare K. Thennarasu before proceeding to their native places.

Efforts are ongoing through the Indian Embassy to contact 49 Tamils who toured with Mahadev Kailash Yatra Travels in Guduvancheri, Chennai.

Five others safe, heading to Ayodhya

Of 10 persons reported missing through helpline numbers, five have reached Tamil Nadu, including Abhishek of the Nilgiris district, who was provided a free air ticket from Nepal to Coimbatore. The remaining five have travelled to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh as per their own plan and will return to Tamil Nadu in a few days.

"The State government has been making continuous efforts to trace the missing Tamils and bring them back safely," the A-G said in response to a public interest litigation petition filed by an advocate seeking rescue of all stranded Tamils.

The bench directed both the Centre and the state government to file a further status report after a week.

Source: The Hindu