‘He called an hour before the floods hit’: 16 Telangana NRIs missing in Nepal floods

Search continues in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh. In Andhra, around 10 people are still believed missing.

3 min readHyderabadUpdated: Aug 29, 2026 05:29 AM IST

A group of 28 people from Tirupati were traced to Kathmandu, an official from the Andhra Pradesh government said. (PTI Photo)

Days before he was to head to Kailash Mansarovar, Sai Prasad Somayajulu spent hours climbing up and down 14 flights of stairs to his apartment complex in Hyderabad. “He is an ardent Shiva Bhakt,” his nephew Praveen tells The Indian Express. “He wanted to make sure he could trek through the difficult terrain.”

The 60-year-old Canadian who moved to Hyderabad only two years ago is one of 16 NRIs from Telangana who have been missing since flash floods in Tibet and Nepal. The death toll in the disaster, triggered by an earthquake and an avalanche, stands at over 450, with hundreds still missing and rescue efforts ongoing.

According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, some 288 had been reported missing – many of them pilgrims like Somayajulu. Back in Hyderabad, his family is worried. “The last contact with him was one hour before the floods hit. He was at the immigration office at the Nepal-China border.”

Explained | Why the Nepal floods are a warning for the Himalayas, and India

Since then, his phone has been off, the family said.

For several others who have foreign passports, their families have been troubled by bureaucratic red tape. But Indian officials say efforts continue to track down the missing, although this has met roadblocks. “It is becoming increasingly difficult as the Nepal authorities are in touch with only the US embassy regarding their whereabouts since they are US passport holders. But their families are reaching out to the Telangana government for assistance,” an official in-charge of the NRI cell in Telangana said.

Some of those who were stated to be untraceable have since been able to get in touch with their families. (Express Photo)

Despite this, some of those who were stated to be untraceable have since been able to get in touch with their families. Among them is 35-year-old Alli Ilasha, a businessman in Hyderabad. “He called to say that he had moved about 40 km ahead of where the landslide hit,” his sister A Vanaja told The Indian Express.

Search continues in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh. In Andhra, around 10 people are still believed missing.

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But in Guntur, the family and friends of a woman traveller, Aparna Kakani, are glad to have found her. “She’s now texted her family she’s safe,” her friend Nisha told The Indian Express. “She hasn’t been able to make calls, but we’re just glad she’s okay.”

A group of 28 people from Tirupati were traced to Kathmandu, an official from the Andhra Pradesh government said.

“They are at a hotel,” the official said.

Nikhila Henry

Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice. Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India. Expertise & Focus Areas Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include: Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India. Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism. Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities. National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting. Authoritativeness & Trust A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read More

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