Twenty-one Indian nationals rescued from the devastating Nepal floods arrived in Delhi on Friday, where External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar personally greeted them at the airport. The survivors, all from Tamil Nadu, were on a Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage when flash floods struck the Himalayan nation on Wednesday.
Rescue and Evacuation
Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that the pilgrims were brought to Kathmandu on Thursday and flown to Delhi via an IndiGo flight with Indian embassy assistance. He added that 63 workers employed at the Trishuli hydropower project have also been safely evacuated from flood-affected areas.
Indians Still Stranded
About 400 Indian nationals remain stranded near the Tibet and China border. Jaiswal stated that all are safe and in touch with their families, but road blockages are delaying their return. So far, 96 Indians have been rescued from the flood zones and brought to Nepal.
India Sends Relief Supplies
India has dispatched over 57 tonnes of relief material to Nepal in three separate flights. The first flight carrying 10 tonnes of aid took off on August 26. A second flight with 37.5 tonnes of supplies was sent on August 27 at Nepal’s request. A third flight carrying 12 to 13 tonnes departed on Friday. The shipments include portable generator sets, essential items for women, food packets, and water purification tablets.
State-Wise Impact
Gujarat has reported 26 missing persons, including some NRIs. State minister Jitu Vaghani said the government is coordinating with the external affairs ministry. Control room numbers 1070, (079)232-51900, and 9978405304 remain active. Karnataka reported 28 people untraceable in Nepal and Tibet, while four have been confirmed safe. A British couple of Kolkata origin traveling to Kailash Mansarovar has been untraceable for four days.
Ongoing Monitoring
Control rooms in Delhi and Kathmandu are closely monitoring the situation. The Indian embassy remains in constant contact with local agencies involved in relief, rescue, and search operations across the flood-hit regions of Nepal.
