Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday requested his Himachal Pradesh counterpart, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, to ensure the safety of 18 tourists from the state who are stranded there due to flash floods and landslides.

The group, part of a tour organised by a Kochi-based agency, is stranded at Kalpa in Himachal Pradesh, officials said.

Vijayan urged the Himachal Pradesh government to take immediate steps to rescue the tourists and ensure their safe return to Kerala.

Officials from Kerala are in constant communication with their counterparts in Himachal Pradesh to coordinate the effort, an official statement said.

The chief minister also requested that the safety of the stranded individuals and their smooth return be ensured. He expressed Kerala’s solidarity with the people of Himachal Pradesh affected by the natural calamity, the statement added.

According to officials, the group had left Kerala on August 25 and was en route to Manali. The tourists are from different parts of the state, officials said.

Heavy or persistent rain over a stretch of days or certain periods can result in water accumulation and trigger floods. In contrast, flash floods happen rapidly within a brief timeframe and affect a limited area.