The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday evening provided an updated toll of Indian nationals affected by the catastrophic flash floods that have ravaged Nepal this week, reporting that 290 Indians remain uncontactable as of 2000 hrs.
In a rare piece of good news amid the unfolding disaster, the MEA confirmed that 63 workers from the Trishuli-I hydropower project have now been rescued, alongside the 21 Indian nationals from Tamil Nadu whose safe rescue was announced earlier in the day. The Tamil Nadu group had been in Nepal as part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrimage.
Context of the disaster: Earlier Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the death toll from the floods had risen to 270, with the disaster ranking among Nepal’s worst in recent years, as flash floods tore through three districts on Wednesday. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has been coordinating with the project head of the affected hydropower site and with Nepalese authorities to trace those still missing.
Separately, around 200 Indian nationals stranded in Tibet on the Chinese side of the border have also sought India’s assistance following flash floods there.
Prime Minister Modi has spoken with his Nepalese counterpart, conveying condolences and India’s solidarity, and offering all possible assistance to Nepal. The MEA has set up a dedicated control room to handle queries from families of those affected.
What the numbers show: The rise in the “uncontactable” figure — from 288 earlier in the day to 290 — alongside the confirmed rescue of the 63 Trishuli-I workers suggests authorities are still actively reconciling names as communication networks in the affected Nepalese districts remain disrupted. The rescue of the full contingent of Trishuli-I project workers marks a significant breakthrough, since that project was earlier flagged as one of the largest single clusters of missing Indian nationals.
