Bengaluru/New Delhi

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday spoke over a video call with Mallinath, a Kannadiga who survived the flash floods in Nepal, and offered him words of encouragement.

Shivakumar, who is in New Delhi, enquired about Mallinath's well-being and assured him of his safety, the Chief Minister's Office said in a statement.

In a video shared by the CMO, Shivakumar can be seen enquiring about Mallinath's well-being. Mallinath told the CM that he was a fan of his.

Mallinath said he escaped 10 minutes before the flash floods struck. He told Shivakumar that he was a devotee of God and believed in the CM's words that "efforts may fail, but prayers won't".

"I may be from a different party, but I'm your fan. I'm also a devotee of God," he told Shivakumar.

Shivakumar advised Mallinath not to hurry back and to remain where he was for some more time as he was safe.

"Regardless of the party, we are all Kannadigas. We should all join hands," he told Mallinath.

The CM told him that officials had not been able to reach some other tourists from Karnataka who were in Nepal. Mallinath responded that he was making efforts to locate them.

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More than 130 Indians, including several pilgrims undertaking the Mansarovar Yatra, went missing while scores of others were stranded in Nepal after flash floods swept through the country's central districts, causing widespread destruction and cutting off affected areas, officials said.