Chennai, 30 August (H.S.):Tamil Nadu authorities have secured the safety of 219 residents caught in the devastating floods in Nepal, while efforts are under way to locate another 100 people, Minister Rajmohan said on Sunday.

Briefing reporters at Chennai airport following his return from New Delhi, the minister said the State government was working closely with central agencies, Indian diplomatic officials and rescue teams operating in Nepal.

The rescued residents are being flown back to Tamil Nadu in batches. Thirty-three people are expected to arrive in Coimbatore from Delhi on Monday evening, while six others will land in Chennai later that night.

Rajmohan said gathering reliable information from the disaster-hit regions remained difficult because roads, communication networks and other infrastructure had suffered extensive damage.

Of a 57-member group that travelled through a Kumbakonam-based agency, 21 have been rescued and brought back to Chennai. The whereabouts of the remaining 36 members are still being ascertained.

Authorities are also searching for 49 residents from Chromepet who travelled with the Mahadevi Yatra group. No confirmed information has yet been received about their location.

Meanwhile, 150 Tamil Nadu residents who entered Kathmandu through the China border are returning on different flights. Another 39 travellers have also been confirmed safe.

Describing the floods as a disaster of international proportions, Rajmohan said the difficult terrain and widespread destruction had slowed rescue operations. Floodwaters could carry bodies and belongings far from the worst-affected locations, complicating identification.

Military personnel and disaster-response teams from India and Nepal have been deployed across the affected areas.

A special war room at Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi is coordinating rescue work, collecting information and assisting the families of stranded residents.

Four Tamil Nadu ministers travelled to Delhi to oversee the operation. Three returned to Chennai on Saturday, while Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Minister K Thennarasu remains there to coordinate with central authorities and facilitate the return of those rescued.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman