Nine pilgrims from Maharashtra, including eight from Thane and one from Navi Mumbai, remain uncontactable after devastating flash floods hit Nepal’s Rasuwa and Bhotekoshi region on August 26. Most of those listed were travelling to or from the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra through the Nepal-China border route.
The Maharashtra government and district administration are coordinating with the families and relevant authorities to establish the pilgrims’ whereabouts and ensure their safety. Officials have stressed that there is no confirmation of any deaths among the nine people and that their current locations remain unknown.
According to information compiled by the Thane district administration, the nine people currently listed as uncontactable are:
Several of the pilgrims were travelling towards the Nepal-China border as part of the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage. Their last known locations were around the border, Chinese immigration point, Kathmandu or the Rasuwa-Timure route.
Thane residents Rekha Satish Patankar and Satish Vinayak Patankar were travelling with a group of 27 pilgrims.
The group was last contacted on the night of August 25. At around 8.27 am on August 26, a member of the group reportedly informed relatives that they had reached the Chinese immigration point. Communication with the travellers was subsequently lost amid the deteriorating flood situation.
Aparna Samir Joshi and Sameer Mukund Joshi, residents of Naupada in Thane, were also travelling for the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra.
Their last known contact was around 7 am on August 26, when they were reportedly near the Nepal-China border. Communication was disrupted after the flash floods struck the region.
Thane resident Rajanish Raghunath Natu was also undertaking the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra.
He was last contacted at approximately 8.05 am on August 26 while reportedly near the Tibet-Nepal border. Contact was lost after the flash floods affected the region.
Sunil Sudarshan Subhedar, 68, from CasaRio Palava in Dombivli, was travelling to Kailash-Mansarovar through Mumbai-based tour operator Hills and Trails.
According to the district administration’s records, his last contact was established at approximately 8.28 am on August 26 from the Nepal-China Immigration Office.
His son, Swanand Subhedar, has appealed to the authorities to locate his father and ensure his safe return.
Kalyan residents Sanjay Rajmal Patil, 60, and Nalini Sanjay Patil, 56, were travelling to Kailash-Mansarovar through the Kerung route.
Their last confirmed location was Hotel Shanker in Lazimpat, Kathmandu. Hotel officials reportedly confirmed that the couple left on the morning of August 25.
Their planned route was Kathmandu–Timure–Rasuwagadhi/China border–Kerung (Gyirong), with an overnight stay at Timure.
The couple was travelling with a group of around 31 pilgrims. According to the administration, it has not yet been established whether they reached the China border or crossed into Tibet.
At around 8.30 am Nepal time on August 26, floodwaters reportedly entered the Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi region, disrupting travel and communications.
Yashas Bhand, a resident of Vashi in Navi Mumbai, was travelling towards Timure through the Rasuwa route.
The official record states that successful contact was established around 7.15 am on August 26. A missed call was subsequently received at around 8.15 am, but it could not be answered.
Bhand was reportedly travelling through Kathmandu-based Richa Tours Pvt Ltd.
The flood disaster has raised concerns over several Maharashtra residents travelling through Nepal, particularly along the Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi corridor connecting the country with the Nepal-China border.
The Maharashtra government is collecting information about stranded and uncontactable citizens and coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs and other authorities for rescue, communication and evacuation where required.
Earlier, the state Disaster Management Department had reported that 114 Maharashtra residents were stranded in different parts of Nepal, of whom 53 had been confirmed safe through direct contact or information provided by relatives.
Reports also indicated that around 150 Maharashtra pilgrims were in Tibet after completing or undertaking the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage. A group of 37 pilgrims stranded in Saga, Tibet, subsequently began travelling towards Kathmandu after intervention by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and coordination between the state government and the Ministry of External Affairs.
A separate group of 106 tourists from Nagpur and other parts of Maharashtra was also reported to have been rescued from Nepal.
The Thane district administration has appealed to families of Maharashtra citizens who may be stranded or uncontactable in Nepal to share accurate information with officials. This includes the traveller’s name, mobile number, last known location or hotel, tour operator, travel route, number of companions, relative’s contact details and the time and place of the last communication.
Authorities have also urged families not to rely on unverified information or panic while efforts to establish contact continue.
Emergency contact numbers
Families seeking official information can contact the Thane District Emergency Operations Centre:
The administration has said that the nine people listed are currently uncontactable, but their deaths have not been confirmed. Authorities are continuing efforts to determine their locations and verify their safety.
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