320 Indians still missing in Nepal, 400 stranded in Tibet after deadly floods: MEA

At least 320 Indians remain missing in Nepal, while 400 others are stranded in Tibet following devastating flash floods along the border, reported the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday. India is ready to offer all possible aid to Nepal to manage the crisis. The MEA disclosed that 153 Indian nationals stranded in Tibet have successfully reached Nepal.

Twenty-one Indians arrived in New Delhi on Friday afternoon, a day after arriving in Kathmandu from flood-affected areas of Nepal. They were welcomed at the national capital's airport by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. According to Jaiswal, 320 Indians are currently missing in Nepal. Meanwhile, 63 Indian nationals working at the Trishuli-One hydropower project were rescued.

There are also approximately 100 individuals of Indian origin who remain untraceable; they may have undertaken the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra but hold different nationalities. The 400 Indians stuck in Tibet are safe, in contact with their families, and the Indian Embassy has been in touch with them and their family members via helpline numbers from Beijing.

The Indian Embassy is coordinating evacuation efforts with local Chinese authorities. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired a meeting with senior officials to assess the situation in Nepal, particularly the search for missing Indian nationals. Indian envoys in Kathmandu and Beijing also attended the virtual meeting. Relief and rescue efforts were discussed, and India's embassies in both nations provided an updated status of Indian nationals.

India has dispatched 57.5 tonnes of emergency relief supplies to Nepal since Wednesday night, with the latest batch weighing 10 tonnes, sent on Friday evening. An 11-member team of doctors and paramedics, along with a reconnaissance team to assess rescue needs in tunnels, has been deployed. Jaishankar noted that the returned 21 Indians thanked the Nepalese Army for their rescue.

The focus now is on supporting Nepal's relief and rescue operations, including a potential team to assist with a hydroelectric project where a tunnel may contain trapped individuals. India has offered Bailey bridges and technical teams to Nepal to restore road connectivity rapidly. An offer to send National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and associated equipment for ongoing search and rescue operations has also been made, awaiting Nepal's response.