A 62-year-old Jharkhand couple has been missing since an avalanche and flash flood struck the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26
The couple was travelling to Kailash-Mansarovar through the Gyirong land port as part of a 32-member pilgrimage group
Their family is seeking immigration records and assistance from Indian authorities to establish whether they crossed into China and trace their whereabouts
A 62-year-old Jharkhand couple travelling to Kailash-Mansarovar has been missing since an avalanche and flash flood struck the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, with their family alleging that Chinese authorities have not shared immigration records that could help establish their whereabouts.
According to Hindustan Times, Manas Kumar Ghosh and his wife Dipali Sarkar, residents of East Singhbhum district, had left Kolkata on August 21 as part of a 32-member pilgrimage group. They were travelling through the Gyirong land port on the Nepal-China border.
Disappeared After Avalanche
The couple completed immigration formalities on the Nepalese side at around 8:15 AM on August 26, according to their family. The Chinese immigration office was across a bridge from the Nepalese facility.
An avalanche and flash flood struck the area at around 9:15 , damaging infrastructure around the border crossing and disrupting movement in the region.
The family has not heard from the couple since.
Relatives travelled to Nepal to search for them and contacted hospitals and the Indian Embassy. They have also approached the Ministry of External Affairs seeking assistance in tracing the couple.
Family Seeks Chinese Records
The family says Chinese immigration records could help determine whether Ghosh and Sarkar crossed into China after completing formalities on the Nepalese side.
Their nephew, Tamojit Ghosh, told Hindustan Times that the family had approached the MEA but had not been able to obtain the relevant information from the Chinese side.
The couple’s daughter, Dr Adrija Ghosh, who is pursuing postgraduate studies at AIIMS Delhi, has also been in contact with the ministry.
Search Continues
The disappearance occurred as the avalanche and flooding caused major disruption around the Nepal-Tibet border, a key route for pilgrims travelling to Kailash-Mansarovar.
The family says it has so far found no trace of the couple and is continuing to work with Indian authorities to establish what happened after they completed immigration formalities on the Nepalese side.
For the relatives, access to records from the Chinese side could be crucial to determining whether the couple crossed the border and where they may have gone after the disaster.
