New Delhi, Aug 28: At least 320 Indians remain missing and 400 others are stranded on the Chinese side following devastating flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday, adding that India stands ready to extend all possible help to Kathmandu to deal with the situation.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 96 Indian nationals who were stranded on the Chinese side have safely crossed over to Nepal by land route.
Twenty-one Indians arrived in New Delhi this afternoon, a day after they reached Kathmandu from the flood-affected areas of Nepal, he said.
The Indian nationals from Tamil Nadu were received at the airport in the national capital by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The death toll from Wednesday’s flash floods in Nepal rose to 579 with more bodies recovered as search and rescue operations continued, according to latest details shared by Nepalese authorities.
“As far as the number of people (Indians) whom we are not able to contact or who are missing, the figure at this point in time is 320,” Jaiswal said.
Sixty-three Indian nationals, working at the Trishuli-One hydropower project, were also rescued, he said.
“There are also around 100 persons of Indian origin who remained uncontactable. These are people of Indian origin who may have gone for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, but they hold other nationalities,” he said.
Jaiswal said 400 Indians are stranded on the Chinese side but they are safe.
“They have been in touch with their family. Our embassy has been in touch with several of them. Many of their family members also contacted us through the helpline numbers that our embassy is running in Beijing.”
“Our embassy is in touch with local authorities in China, and they are working out as to how these people who are there can be evacuated,” he noted.
In a related development, Jaishankar held a high-level meeting with senior officials and reviewed the situation in Nepal with a focus on tracking the status of missing Indians. Indian envoys to Kathmandu and Beijing also joined the meeting through virtual mode.
“Discussed the relief and rescue efforts underway in Nepal today. Our Embassies in Kathmandu and Beijing provided an updated picture in respect of the status and well-being of Indian nationals,” Jaishankar said on social media.
“The concerned MEA Divisions apprised us of the further relief supplies to be sent to Nepal. We give highest priority to this issue,” he said.
Jaishankar said New Delhi is making “urgent efforts” to ascertain the status and well-being of Indians stuck in flood-hit areas.
Since Wednesday night, India sent a total of 57.5 tonnes of emergency supplies to Nepal in three military transport aircraft.
The latest consignment of 10 tonnes of relief materials were sent on Friday evening.
Alongside the relief supplies, India also sent an 11-member team of doctors and paramedics, as well as a reconnaissance crew to assess tunnel rescue operations.
After return of the 21 Indians, Jaishankar said they were very thankful to the Nepalese Army for rescuing them.
“Right now, our effort is on supporting Nepal in the relief and rescue of people. Even today I spoke in the morning to the Nepal foreign minister. We have given them a range of suppprt offers and they are evaluating it,” he said.
“Right now, the main thing is that in one place where there is a hydroelectric project, there could be possibility of people who may be in a tunnel. So, we are sending a team to help with the experts,” he said.
Jaiswal said India has offered to send Bailey bridges to Nepal along with associated technical teams so that connectivity can be restored quickly in the areas hit by the floods.
“We have also made a specific offer to the 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,” he said.
“We await a response from the government of Nepal on this front. We stand ready to offer any assistance that the Nepal authorities might require,” he said. (PTI)
