Indian missions in Kathmandu and Beijing coordinate round-the-clock rescue and evacuation efforts…reports Asian Lite News Desk
As rescue and relief operations continue in flood-ravaged Nepal, 320 Indian nationals remain uncontactable, while around 100 people of Indian origin holding foreign nationalities are also yet to be reached, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the figures remain fluid as authorities work to reconcile multiple lists of missing and uncontactable people and establish contact with those affected by the devastating floods.
Providing an update on the evacuation efforts, Jaiswal said 21 Indian nationals who had reached Kathmandu from the flood-affected region arrived in Delhi on Friday. India’s Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, had met the group in Kathmandu and enquired about their well-being.
“First, good news: 21 Indian nationals who had yesterday arrived in Kathmandu from the area which was affected by the flood have landed in Delhi,” Jaiswal said at a press briefing.
He said 63 Indian nationals working at the Trishuli One hydropower project were rescued on Thursday. In addition, 96 Indian nationals who had been stranded on the Chinese side safely crossed into Nepal by land, and arrangements are being made for their evacuation.
“In addition to these 21 and 63, we have learnt that 96 Indian nationals who were stranded on the Chinese side have safely crossed into Nepal by land, and efforts are underway to have them evacuated,” Jaiswal said.
The MEA will provide further details about the 96 evacuees once their identities and particulars have been verified.
On Indians still missing or out of contact, Jaiswal said the current figure stood at 320 but stressed that it could change as rescue teams and authorities verify information.
“As far as the number of people whom we are not able to contact or who are missing, the figure at this point in time is 320. But please do keep in mind that we are in a dynamic situation, so figures keep going up and down. Also, we have to reconcile several lists that we are dealing with,” he said.
The MEA also said around 100 people of Indian origin remain uncontactable. These individuals travelled to the region for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra but are citizens of other countries.
“There are also around 100 persons of Indian origin who remain uncontactable. They are people of Indian origin who went for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra but hold different nationalities,” Jaiswal said.
The MEA’s control room in New Delhi is operating around the clock, in coordination with control groups at Indian missions in Kathmandu and Beijing, to track affected nationals and facilitate their evacuation.
The latest Indian government update comes as Nepal continues to grapple with the aftermath of a catastrophic flash flood that struck the Bhotekoshi River area of Rasuwa district on August 26.
According to the latest figures attributed to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 538 bodies have been recovered, while 977 people remain missing. At least 73 people have been injured, with thousands of security personnel deployed for search and rescue operations.
The flash flood unleashed a massive surge of water, sediment and boulders through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems, destroying infrastructure and leaving large numbers of people stranded or unaccounted for.
Indian and Nepalese authorities are continuing to coordinate rescue, relief and evacuation efforts, with teams working to locate missing people, establish contact with those stranded and provide assistance in affected areas.
Earlier on Friday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said he had reviewed the rescue and relief operations with Indian embassies in Kathmandu and Beijing.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said the missions had provided updates on the status and well-being of Indian nationals, while officials in the MEA briefed him on additional relief supplies being prepared for Nepal.
“We give highest priority to this issue,” Jaishankar said.
