Trying to reach safety: NRI couple's last message before going missing in Nepal

A UK-based couple with roots in Kolkata have gone missing during a Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage through Nepal, leaving their family anxiously awaiting news about their whereabouts.Anal Kar and his wife, Sanjukta Kar, reached Kathmandu on August 18 after meeting relatives in Kolkata. They were last traced to Timure near the Nepal-Tibet border, according to reports. The couple were travelling to Kailash Mansarovar when they went missing.Anal is a chemical engineer, while Sanjukta is a teacher. They moved to the United Kingdom in 2001 and live there with their two children.The couple loved travelling, with the Himalayas holding a special place for them. They had undertaken another Himalayan trek a few months ago. The family last heard from them on August 26. Sanjukta sent photographs from the trip to her father, Ranjit Dutta, over WhatsApp on the night of August 25. The couple were scheduled to leave around 6 am the following morning to complete immigration formalities at the Nepal-Tibet border.“My daughter had contacted me over WhatsApp on the night of August 25. They were scheduled to leave at around 6 am on August 26 for immigration formalities. Sanjukta had also sent several photographs from their trip,” Dutta said. At around 8 am on August 26, Sanjukta sent her final message to a WhatsApp group of friends.“She wrote that a landslide alert had been issued in the area and that they were trying to reach a safe location on foot as quickly as possible. After that, we have not been able to contact them in any way,” Dutta said.The family contacted the travel agency handling the trip, but it could not provide any information about the couple’s location or condition.Sanjukta’s aunt said the family approached the police the following day. A police team from Bhawani Bhavan subsequently visited their home and collected the necessary information.West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari also spoke to the family over the phone and enquired about the missing couple. The family is hoping that Sanjukta and Anal will be located and brought home safely.- EndsPublished By: Aprameya RaoPublished On: Aug 29, 2026 19:48 IST