What began as a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar has turned into an anxious wait for a Lucknow family whose two members—a couple living in the US (Overseas Citizens of India)—were among those in Nepal when the August 26 flash flood hit the country.
The incident occurred when the couple was at an immigration centre on the Nepal-China border, according to the family members.
They were travelling with three-four relatives, who had come from Texas in the United States for pilgrimage with an Indian group, and were returning from Kailesh Mansoravar Yatra. “Family members had gone to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. The other relatives accompanying them returned. For the family, the last location updates shared by the Relief Commissioner’s Office have become the only concrete leads. The family is now hoping that authorities will be able to establish the couple’s whereabouts and confirm that they are safe. Being a spiritual person, he wanted to celebrate it there. They were staying there for two weeks. They were coming back home and were at immigration centre when the flood came.
Deepak Ahuja, 60, and his wife Madhu Ahuja, 57, had been in Nepal for 14 days with Isha Sacred Walks group S3. I had spoken to them only 1.5 hours before and they were just about to exit the border,” said Shreya Ahuja, a Texas resident.
Deepak and Madhu remained untraceable, their family members said While the other group members returned. Deepak and Madhu, however, have not returned and the family has been unable to establish their whereabouts,” she said. Ashna and Shreya Auja, daughters of the missing couple, said, “It was dad’s 60th birthday.
