Contact has been lost with about 290 Israelis amid heavy monsoon rains that led to landslides and flash floods in northern India this week, killing at least 29 people.

Israeli Foreign Ministry officials held a situational assessment on Tuesday evening and were briefed by the staff at the Israeli consulate in New Delhi, who reported that they are unable to contact Israeli tourists in the affected areas due to reception issues and collapsed communication lines.

Ynet reported that hundreds of Israelis are stuck in northern Indian villages due to the torrential rains. The report quoted Meron Karlik, an administrator of a Facebook group for travel in India, as saying that “many parents in Israel are worried because they can’t contact their children. It’s possible that things will calm down in the coming days but what I’m trying to tell families is that due to the rainfall and weather conditions, there’s no electricity and no Internet connection so tourists can’t reach out.”

“The roads are blocked, and there are places they won’t be able to leave until the rains calm down. Anyone who wants to can contact us, and we’ll help them get in touch with their children,” Karlik said.

The Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday morning that “due to severe weather conditions in northern India and flooding in low-lying areas, local authorities are warning tourists to avoid going out or traveling in the coming days.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)