CHENNAI: More than 90 people from Tamil Nadu who travelled to Nepal on pilgrimage are yet to be contacted, while over 140 others have been traced and confirmed to be safe in Nepal, state school education and information minister A. Rajmohan said on Friday.Addressing the media in New Delhi on the ongoing rescue and tracing efforts, the minister said more than 400 people from Tamil Nadu were estimated to have travelled to Nepal on pilgrimage. With several groups stranded or cut off following the disaster, the state govt was making efforts to trace every visitor from Tamil Nadu, he added.“More than 400 people may have travelled from Tamil Nadu. At present, we have not been able to establish contact with 90-plus people,” the minister said, adding that more than 140 people had been traced and were safe in different locations in Nepal.He said the govt was receiving fresh information about Tamil Nadu visitors who were either stranded or missing, making it difficult to arrive at a final figure immediately. “We keep getting information about new groups and individuals who have travelled to Nepal. Apart from those who went in large organised groups, many people have travelled individually or in smaller groups. We are trying to trace every single person,” he said.The minister said a control room and war room had been set up at Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi to coordinate the rescue and tracing operations. Information was being exchanged continuously with the Centre, Nepalese authorities and other agencies to locate those who remain uncontactable. “In several cases, officials have only the names of the travellers and are working to match them with photographs and other details to establish their identity and whereabouts, he said.The minister said the state was coordinating with the ministry of external affairs and other central agencies to obtain information about stranded Tamil Nadu residents and facilitate their return. He said the immediate priority was to establish communication with those still uncontactable, particularly as connectivity in several parts of the affected region had been severely disrupted.“The situation is extremely challenging. Communication has been disrupted and several bridges have been damaged. Every hour is crucial. We are making all possible efforts to establish contact and bring back every survivor,” he said.
