Nearly 300 Indians Untraced After Nepal Floods
Nearly 300 Indian nationals are reported to be uncontactable after catastrophic flash floods struck Nepal’s Rasuwa region and adjoining areas near the Tibet border, Nepal Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said on Thursday. The disaster has killed more than 160 people in Nepal, while search operations continue for hundreds of missing residents and foreign travellers.
Nearly 300 Indians Untraced After Nepal Floods
Khanal said many of the Indians who remain out of contact were travelling through the affected region for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.
The figure remains preliminary. Nepalese police and tourism authorities separately listed 177 Indian tourists among those officially recorded as missing in Nepal, indicating that broader estimates may include people who cannot currently be contacted because electricity and communication networks have collapsed.
Indian diplomatic authorities are coordinating with Nepalese agencies to establish the whereabouts of affected citizens.
Hundreds of Foreign Tourists Reported Missing
Around 826 people were reported missing in Nepal as rescue operations intensified, including nearly 500 foreign nationals from more than two dozen countries.
Across Nepal and Tibet combined, the number of people reported missing approached 1,500. Helicopters and more than 5,000 Nepalese army and police personnel have been deployed to search devastated towns and deliver food, tents and emergency supplies.
India has also sent relief assistance to Nepal.
Glacial Collapse Triggered Catastrophic Flood
Scientific assessments indicate that a massive collapse of glacial ice and rock triggered a debris-laden flood that travelled downstream from Tibet into Nepal.
The disaster destroyed settlements, roads, bridges and power infrastructure. Authorities have warned that the death toll could rise as rescue teams reach areas buried beneath thick layers of mud and debris.
Khanal said Nepal’s immediate priority remains rescue and relief while authorities continue assessing the full scale of the disaster.
