Sixteen Malayalis who were stranded in Nepal following the flash floods have returned to Kerala, NORKA Roots confirmed. Among those who returned is Ernakulam native Rineeth Mohan, who could not be traced for several days after losing his phone.

With their return, the safety of 45 of the 52 Malayalis identified as being in Nepal during the floods has been confirmed, NORKA Roots CEO Rajesh Madhavan said. The agency said they are either safe in Nepal or in other parts of India and are making arrangements to return home.

However, seven Malayalis are still untraced, and efforts are under way to establish their whereabouts. Information is also awaited on four Kerala-origin people holding Australian citizenship. Their details have been handed over to the Ministry of External Affairs for further action.

NORKA Roots has made arrangements, on the directions of the Chief Minister's Office, to facilitate the onward journey to Kerala of people arriving in India from Nepal.

Those requiring assistance can contact NORKA help desks or the Delhi NRK Development Office.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the floods has climbed to 675, while nearly 2,400 people remain missing, including at least 320 foreign nationals. More than 4,400 people have been rescued or evacuated so far. At least 275 Indians are among those reported missing.

The disaster, believed to have been triggered by a collapse or avalanche of ice and rock in the Himalayan region near the Nepal-Tibet border, sent a massive torrent of water, mud and debris downstream through central Nepal on Wednesday.

The floods devastated towns and villages across several districts, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects.

16 Malayalis return
Rineeth Mohan, a native of Piravom in Ernakulam, travelled to Nepal on August 23 for a holiday. He was near Pokhara when the flash floods struck. After his family informed him about the disaster, he began his journey back to Kerala.

Mohan could not be contacted after he lost his phone while travelling to Delhi. He boarded a train from Delhi to Kerala on August 27 and reached home on Sunday afternoon.
A 14-member group from Kochi was also among those who returned. Shruthi Shikhamani, a Kakkanad native who had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, also returned safely. She was in Kathmandu when the floods struck.