Hooghly, 27 August (H.S.): A tourist from Tarakeswar in Hooghly district has gone missing while on a trip to Nepal, leaving his family deeply concerned. Snehasish Dutta last spoke to his wife over the phone on Wednesday morning, after which all contact with him was lost. Dutta’s residence is in the Chawalpatty area of Tarakeswar.

According to his family, Snehasish Dutta had left for Nepal on August 21 as part of a tour organised by Kolkata-based travel agency ‘Chalo Jai’. Jayanta Sanyal, an employee of the tour agency and also a resident of Tarakeswar, was accompanying the same group.

Family members said the tourists reached Raxaul the following day and travelled from there to Kathmandu. The group remained in Kathmandu on Tuesday. On Wednesday, they were scheduled to cross the Nepal border and travel towards the Tibet border.

At around 7:25 a.m. on Wednesday, Snehasish called his wife, Soma Dutta, and told her that the group was heading towards the Immigration Department. They reportedly reached the area at around 8 a.m.

It was around this time that a sudden flood hit the area. Several tourists, including Snehasish, were reportedly present at the site when a strong surge of water swept through the area. Since then, his family has been unable to establish contact with him.

The family is continuing efforts to trace him and remains hopeful of his safe return.

A sudden flash flood in the Koshi River in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Wednesday morning reportedly caused widespread destruction. Reports suggest that the death toll in Nepal has risen to 160, while around 750 people are still missing. According to the Nepal Tourism Board, at least 384 tourists, including 291 foreign nationals, remain unaccounted for following the disaster. As many as 142 Indian nationals are reportedly among them. Meanwhile, around 65 tourists from West Bengal’s Hooghly district are reported to be stranded in Nepal.

Pictures and videos emerging on social media show the devastating impact of the floods. Homes, roads, bridges and settlements can be seen being swept away by powerful currents. Several people were also reportedly caught in the raging waters. Torrents of mud, rocks and water cascading down from the mountains have reduced several villages and settlements to rubble, leaving behind a scene of widespread destruction.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey