The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday that 320 Indian nationals remain "uncontactable" while around 100 persons of Indian origin are also yet to be reached out to even as the rescue and relief operations continue in flood-hit Nepal. The MEA underlined that the figures remain fluid as authorities work to reconcile multiple lists of missing people. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the ministry was working continuously to establish contact with Indians affected by the flash flood and coordinate their evacuation.
Jaiswal says 21 Indian nationals reached Delhi today
Giving an update on the current situation, Jaiswal said 21 Indian nationals who had arrived in Kathmandu from the flood-affected area had reached Delhi today, adding that India's Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava had met the group in Kathmandu and enquired about their well-being.
“You are aware of the humanitarian assistance rendered by India so far to Nepal in the wake of the recent tragedy. More assistance is in the pipeline. Two aircraft with relief material have left, and a third tranche of relief material is expected to leave this evening,” he said.
MEA says India is preparing to send a Tunnel rescue team to Nepal
He added that as requested by the Nepal, India is preparing to send a Tunnel rescue team, for which a recce team is being flown in first to assess the equipment required etc. “A medical team is also being sent. In addition, we have also offered Bailey bridges along with their associated technical teams so that connectivity can be restored quickly in the affected parts of Nepal. One Bailey bridge is already in Nepal and can be deployed for relief efforts,” he said.
He went on to say that so far as missing or stranded Indians are concerned, Government of India is arranging for the return home of those who have been rescued thus far. “In addition to this, we have also made specific offer to Nepal authorities to dispatch NDRF teams along with their associated equipment that can help in ongoing search and rescue operations and bring relief assistance to people impacted by the tragedy. We await a response from the Government of Nepal on this front. We stand ready to offer any other assistance that the Nepal authorities might require,” he said.
Death toll from flash floods rises to 538
Earlier in the day, Nepal Police said that the death toll from flash floods rose to 538 on Friday with more bodies recovered as search and rescue operations continue with caution following the threat of fresh flooding due to an increase in the water level of a lake formed by avalanches on the border with Tibet.
Nepal Police issued a statement and said the bodies were recovered from eight districts of the Himalayan nation. According to Nepal Police, 134 dead bodies were recovered from Nawalparasi East, 221 from Chitwan, 46 from Gorkha and 37 from Nuwakot.
Similarly, 33 bodies were recovered from Dhading, 28 from Tanu, 27 from Nawalparasi West and 12 from Rasuwa. Search and rescue operations continued for the third day of the tragic incident with the mobilisation of 7,451 security personnel, including 2,391 Nepal Army personnel, the statement said.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Friday added that the rise in the water level at the site where a devastating flash flood occurred earlier this week raised the risk of another flood in the area. The warning comes after a massive flash flood swept through Rasuwa and other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday, killing hundreds and leaving thousands missing.
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