Foreign Ministry says nearly 300 Israelis in India remain unreachable due to floods
Deputy ambassador dispatched to stricken region to try to track down missing travelers; no reports of injuries among Israelis
Some 290 Israelis remain unreachable by loved ones and officials in northern India in the wake of deadly floods in the region, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
Heavy monsoon rains caused severe flooding in the area, damaging infrastructure and blocking transportation, and stranding travelers in the region that is popular with Israeli backpackers.
The Foreign Ministry dispatched Deputy Ambassador Ohad Nakash Kaynar to the stricken area to try to make contact with the missing Israeli travelers.
“Sometimes diplomacy includes rolling down sleeves and getting busy,” Nakash Kaynar tweeted from the airplane.
There are currently no indications that any Israelis have been hurt in the floods.
“We were stuck for three days without electricity or cell service. We weren’t afraid and there was no shortage of food. We were mostly stressed because people would be worried in Israel,” one traveler, Didi Frankel, told the Ynet news site after managing to leave the Kasol area where he’d been staying.
Sometimes diplomacy includes rolling down sleeves and getting busy. Going to #HimachalPradesh on the Director General and Ambassador's directive, to try and reconnect with Israeli tourists who are in the flooded areas like Kasol, Kalga and Pulga. Cross your fingers all goes well. pic.twitter.com/BmW2fvly3K
— Ohad Nakash Kaynar (@KaynarOhad) July 12, 2023
“There were one or two hostels that had generators, so we went there. We know there are a lot more Israelis in Kasol who are afraid to leave because of the uncertainty,” Frankel said, adding that he believed the Israelis in the area were unharmed.
“In three days, the rain destroyed all the infrastructure. It wasn’t clear if we could leave. We said, ‘Let’s try,’” Frankel said. He took several taxis and walked until he reached a nearby city.
Landslides and flash floods in the country’s north have killed at least 15 people. Torrential rain has also closed schools, submerged roads and swept away houses and bridges.
India’s weather agency has forecast more heavy rains in the north in the coming days. It said monsoon rains across the country have already brought about 2% more rainfall than normal.
India regularly witnesses severe floods during the monsoon season, which runs between June and September and brings most of South Asia’s annual rainfall. The rains are crucial for rain-fed crops planted during the season but often cause extensive damage.
Scientists say monsoons are becoming more erratic due to climate change, leading to frequent landslides and flash floods in India’s Himalayan north.
AP contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.