Susmita Bhattacharya
A 66-year-old woman from Barasat, Sushmita Bhattacharya, has been missing since Wednesday after reportedly being swept away by the flash flood in Nepal. Meanwhile, retired schoolteachers Swapan Mandal and his wife Mou Mandal, residents of Khan Bahadur Road in Ward 10 of Basirhat Municipality in North 24 Parganas, are also reportedly missing. Her family has been unable to trace her despite contacting the Kolkata-based tour operator, the state administration and Nepal authorities. Her husband Tapan Bhattacharya and son Sunit are now spending anxious hours waiting for any news of her. The family has also contacted the Kolkata-based tour operator, its Nepalese associate and the police control rooms in Bengal and Nepal, but has so far received no information about Sushmita.
The family could not speak to her on Monday or Tuesday as she was busy with the tour. On Wednesday, the group was at an immigration centre near Kerung on the Nepal-Tibet border when a flash flood swept through the area.
The couple had travelled to Nepal around seven days ago and were scheduled to proceed towards Kailash, according to family members. However, following the disaster in Nepal, their family has been unable to establish any contact with them. With both their mobile phones switched off, concerns over their safety have intensified.