Guwahati: The Meghalaya State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has asked people to share information about residents from the state who may be missing after the flash floods in Nepal. A dedicated helpline has also been opened to help trace them.
The SDMA said the request covers people from Meghalaya who were possibly present in the areas affected by the floods or whose families have been unable to confirm their whereabouts.
Relatives, friends, family members, travel agencies, tour operators and anyone else with relevant information can contact the authorities to share details.
The helpline number provided by the SDMA is 6009924512. Emergency assistance is also available through 112 and 1070, while CM Connect can be contacted on 1971.
People contacting the authorities have been asked to provide the missing person’s name and age, phone number, Meghalaya address, last known location in Nepal, and details of their most recent communication.
The SDMA said all information received would be collected and sent to the appropriate authorities so that the details could be checked and necessary assistance provided.
The initiative comes while rescue teams continue operations in Nepal after severe flooding affected areas along the Nepal-Tibet border.
Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said on Thursday that almost 300 Indian tourists were among thousands of people who have been reported missing. The number of deaths in the disaster has reached 177.
The number reported on Thursday is higher than the previous day’s figure, which put the number of missing people at nearly 500. Among those were at least 133 Indians and 37 non-resident Indians (NRIs).
In Kathmandu, the Indian Embassy is working with Nepalese authorities and other agencies to assist Indian nationals affected by the floods through ongoing rescue and relief efforts.