SRINAGAR: As many as 275 Indian nationals remain missing following the devastating flash floods in Nepal, while 166 Indians have been rescued, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian government remained in close contact with the Nepalese authorities over the missing nationals and appreciated their ongoing rescue efforts.
According to the MEA, 1,907 Indian nationals have safely crossed into Nepal from China, with no Indian travellers now stranded in the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
“As per official sources in China, there are no Indian travellers who are stranded in the Tibetan Autonomous Region in China,” Jaiswal said during a media briefing.
India has also provided around 95 tonnes of relief material to Nepal since the flash floods struck on August 26, the MEA said.
Nepalese authorities have reported at least 1,295 deaths in the affected districts, while more than 12,000 people have been rescued. Nearly 5,000 people remain missing, with rescue operations continuing in several affected areas.
The floods have also caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including 35 motorable bridges, 45 suspension bridges and 40 kilometres of black-topped roads, according to local authorities.
A report by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said more than 32,000 people and properties had been affected by the disaster. A comprehensive assessment of the overall damage has not yet been made public.
The floods were triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, according to the report.
