Hurrican Harvey: 200 Indian students stranded in Houston, two in ICU, says Sushma Swaraj

At least 200 Indian students were stranded at the University of Houston after the campus was flooded due to Hurricane Harvey, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday.

The minister said that two Indian students, Shalini and Nikhil Bhatia, are admitted in Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and that the Indian consulate general is reaching out to them to provide help. More details on the students are awaited. “@CGHoust has informed me that 200 Indian students at University of Houston are marooned. They are surrounded by neck deep water,” she tweeted.

The Indian side made efforts for delivery of food but the US Coast Guard did not allow them as boats were required for rescue operations, Swaraj said in a series of tweets. She said the MEA was ensuring that the relatives of the hospitalised students reach the health facility at the earliest.

“Mr. Anupam Ray our CG (Consul General) Houston is organising the rescue operations,” she tweeted. Harvey, the most powerful hurricane to hit the US in 13 years, left a trail of destruction as it swept through Texas yesterday, pummelling the region with heavy rains and claiming at least five lives since making landfall on the US’ Gulf Coast.