Last call, then silence: Thane father awaits news of son missing after Nepal flash floods

Thane: The last phone call of his 28-year-old son still echoes in his father's mind, a reminder of his excitement to start his journey to Kailash Mansarovar just hours before flash floods in Nepal cut off all contact with his family in Maharashtra's Thane district.

Abhishek Ghone, a Kalyan resident working for a travel booking portal, had left for Kathmandu on August 24 and called home late Tuesday night to inform his family that his group would begin the journey early the next morning, shortly before the flash floods swept through Rasuwa and other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday.

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The family has approached the authorities, but they have not responded with any concrete information, the distressed father said.

In their desperate bid for answers, one of Abhishek's friends used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to track his location, which suggested he might be in a safe zone, though the family is wary of relying on unverified data, he said.

"My son had planned this pilgrimage for a long time and was excited," Abhishek's father said on Saturday, recounting the agonising silence that has followed their last conversation.

He explained that Abhishek had called late Tuesday night to share that his group would set off early the next morning, but the family has not heard from him since.

"We are completely unaware of his whereabouts and deeply concerned, and though we have approached the authorities, they have not yet gotten back to us with any concrete information," the distressed father said.

The massive flash flood originating in Tibet swept through central Nepal on Wednesday, devastating several towns and villages, washing away critical bridges and crippling a dozen hydropower projects as it gushed downstream, affecting multiple districts.

In their desperate bid for answers, one of Abhishek's friends used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to track his location, which suggested he might be in a safe zone.

"The information may not be authentic, and we want the authorities to provide verified updates," Abhishek's father added.

According to the family, the local tour operator managing the yatra was conveying 70 to 80 pilgrims from across India, who were travelling together across five vehicles when the extreme weather struck.

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The family stressed that their sole concern was tracing their son amidst the destruction caused by the mountain torrents.

"We are not angry with the administration or upset. We only want information about our son," his father pleaded, urging authorities to trace Abhishek in whatever condition he may be.

According to reports, four residents from the Kalyan-Dombivli region were reported missing in Nepal following the flash floods.