Vishwakarma worked with ANDRITZ Hydropower and had been working in Nepal since April. (Special Arrangement, Express Photo)The call they missed is the one that the family of Mahendra Vishwakarma regrets most. A mechanical fitter at a hydropower project in Nepal, Vishwakarma called at 8 am on August 25.That was the last call that came from his number. “We could not answer the call for some reason. After that, his calls stopped coming, and his number also stopped connecting. Maybe he was calling to tell us about the flood,” his younger brother Vikas tells The Indian Express.Vishwakarma is one of hundreds of Indians still missing since flash floods swept parts of Nepal and Tibet this week. The death toll from the floods, caused by a glacier collapse, has reached 626, with thousands – including Indian nationals – still unaccounted for.Also Read | No word from Thane couple on first trip to Nepal, kin await clarityAs the body count rises, families like that of 50-year-old Vishwakarma wait in dread, fearing the worst. Vishwakarma worked with ANDRITZ Hydropower and had been working in Nepal since April.After that call, the family learnt of the flash floods and have been trying to locate him, with authorities telling them that several workers were missing and that search efforts were underway.“Since August 26, there has been no contact. We have tried repeatedly, but his phone is neither connecting nor have we received any information,” brother Vikas says. Adds Vishwakarma’s wife Kalawati: “We don’t know where he is or what condition he is in.”Express in Nepal | At search & rescue hub, helicopters and the stench of deathBetween these words is the unspoken fear: Is he dead?Story continues below this adThe family approached the Mohammadganj police station in Palamu, as well as political representatives and government officials, for assistance.For her part, Shikha Lakra, head of the Jharkhand Migrant Workers Control Room, says the Palamu case was still being kept under the “missing” category.An Indian representative of ANDRITZ Hydropower, who is coordinating with the team in Nepal, confirmed that authorities were looking for Mahendra Vishwakarma. In a statement issued on August 29, ANDRITZ Hydropower said it was engaged as the contractor for the electromechanical and hydromechanical works of the 216 MW Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project and that several of its direct employees and contracted personnel were at the site when the disaster occurred.Several personnel had been rescued and moved to safer locations with assistance from Nepalese authorities, local agencies and the Indian Embassy, but “some colleagues remain unaccounted for”. “Teams were working with local authorities and agencies to locate them,” it said.Story continues below this adAlso Read | Nepal floods leave grim trail in UP: 10 bodies found in Gandak riverANDRITZ has provided helpline numbers for families seeking information: ANDRITZ India – +91-9311906260 and ANDRITZ Nepal – +977-9716236425.With no news, the family is seeking the Jharkhand government’s help to travel to Nepal. But as they keep their hopes alive, there’s a quiet anxiety: what will happen to the family after Vishwakarma? “He is the only earning member of the family. He has four school-going children and elderly parents. We cannot even think about it. Wherever God has kept him, we hope he’s safe,” says Kalawati.Shubham Tigga is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, presently based in Pune, where he covers the intersections of infrastructure, labor, and the modern economy. His reporting focuses on civil aviation, urban mobility, the gig economy, and workers' unions, providing critical insights into how transit and commercial sectors impact the daily lives of citizens. Expertise & Background Before moving to Pune, he reported extensively from his home state of Chhattisgarh, where he focused on Indigenous (Adivasi) issues, environmental justice, and grassroots struggles in mainland India. This experience gives him a unique lens through which he analyzes the impact of large-scale infrastructure projects on local communities. Academic Foundation He is an alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), where he honed his skills in investigative reporting and ethical journalism. His academic training, combined with his field experience in Central India, allows him to navigate complex socio-economic landscapes with nuance and accuracy. You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More Tags:Nepal flash floods