Ten days after flash floods struck areas along the Nepal-Tibet border, India's foreign ministry said on Friday that 275 of its nationals remain missing. A total of 169 Indians have been rescued so far from the flood-affected areas in Nepal, according to Randhir Jaiswal, India's foreign ministry spokesperson. In the latest rescue, three Indians, including a five-year-old, were pulled to safety from Trishuli Bazaar.
Nepal's official death toll from the deluge stands at 1,294, with 5,053 people still missing. A frantic rescue effort has continued for days, with particular focus on mud-filled hydropower tunnels where hundreds of workers are believed to be trapped.
An Indian tunnel rescue team working with Nepal's defense forces at the Chilime hydropower plant in Rasuwa has stepped up operations, according to Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava on Saturday. The team drained water from the tunnel and began constructing a temporary track to allow heavy equipment to reach the site. Doctors accompanying the Indian rescuers also held a health camp for the local community.
India has supplied nearly 95 tonnes of relief material to Nepal since the floods struck on August 26, Jaiswal said. India's foreign ministry also said that 1,907 Indian nationals have safely crossed over to Nepal from China, and that no Indian travelers remain stranded in the Tibet Autonomous Region, citing official Chinese sources.
