Chennai: State school education minister A Rajmohan said 219 more people who had travelled from Tamil Nadu to Nepal have been traced, and will return on Monday. “We have gathered information that as many as 319 people from Tamil Nadu had travelled to Nepal in batches. We have found that 219 people are safe and secure. They will be reaching Chennai by Aug 31. The remaining 100 odd people are untraceable and missing,” Rajmohan told reporters at Chennai airport late on Saturday night after his return from New Delhi.Rajmohan said that though many went in groups, some had travelled alone. He said govt was not only focusing on tracing the pilgrims who travelled from Tamil Nadu, but also Tamils who went to Nepal from places such as Bengaluru and other countries such Malaysia.So far 21 Tamils who managed to escape the flash floods in Bhotekoshi river have been brought to Delhi and flown to Chennai. Rajmohan said they were part of a 57 member group who travelled through a Thanjavur based agency. The remaining members of the group remain untraceable, he said.While chief minister C Joseph Vijay had deputed four ministers to New Delhi to coordinate with central agencies on the rescue efforts, minister for non-resident Tamils welfare department K Thennarasu continued to camp in Delhi and facilitate the return of rescued Tamils.Rajmohan said the gravity of the catastrophe was so huge that the belongings of the missing people were found very far from the place they were last seen. “Terrain is tough. Armed forces of two countries are involved in rescue efforts. Everyone is working together,” he said.
