New Delhi: At least 320 Indians remain missing, and around 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, August 28.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 96 Indian nationals stranded on the Chinese side have safely crossed over to Nepal by land.
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.
Death toll rising
The death toll from August 26 flash floods in Nepal rose to 538, with more bodies recovered as search and rescue operations continued, according to the 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.
“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.
‘Embassy in touch with local authorities’
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.
India making ‘urgent efforts’
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 47.5 tonnes of emergency supplies to Nepal in two military transport aircraft and is in the process of sending more relief materials.
