New Delhi: India is continuing efforts to locate and evacuate nationals affected by the devastating floods in Nepal, with 320 Indian nationals currently uncontactable, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. The latest update also covers the return of 21 Tamil Nadu pilgrims to Delhi, the safe crossing of 96 Indians from the Chinese side into Nepal, and preparations for further relief and specialized rescue assistance.
Randhir Jaiswal, the MEA spokesman, said 21 Indian nationals from Tamil Nadu, who had reached Kathmandu a day earlier after being rescued from the flood-affected area, landed in Delhi on Friday. S Jaishankar, the external affairs minister, received the pilgrims on arrival and thanked the Nepali Army and the Nepal government for their rescue efforts.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said he was moved to hear the pilgrims’ experiences first-hand, and appreciated the Embassy of India in Kathmandu for facilitating their smooth return to India.
Jaiswal also said 63 Indian nationals working at the Trishuli-I hydropower project had been rescued the previous day. Separately, 96 Indian nationals stranded on the Chinese side have safely crossed into Nepal by land, and efforts are under way to evacuate them.
On the number of Indians still uncontactable, Jaiswal put the figure at 320, while cautioning that it could change as information from affected areas is received and verified. He said around 100 persons of Indian origin were also uncontactable, and that these people may have travelled for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra but hold other nationalities, and are therefore counted separately from the 320 Indian nationals.
Jaishankar said the government remained focused on establishing contact with Indians stranded in Nepal, and noted that the number of people being traced could fluctuate as fresh information becomes available.
India has meanwhile continued its humanitarian assistance to Nepal. The first aircraft carrying 10 tonnes of relief material departed on Wednesday evening, followed by a second aircraft carrying 37 tonnes the following morning.
A third aircraft is expected to depart on Friday evening, carrying another 12−13 tonnes of relief supplies. Once that consignment is dispatched, India’s total relief material sent to Nepal by air will reach around 60 tonnes.
The consignments include tents, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps, medicines, dewatering pumps, kitchen sets, generators and food supplies for rescue and relief operations.
At Nepal’s request, India is preparing to send a tunnel rescue team, with a reconnaissance team expected to travel first to assess ground conditions. A medical team is also being prepared.
India has offered Bailey bridges and an accompanying technical team to help restore connectivity and support rescue operations. New Delhi has also specifically offered to deploy National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams with associated equipment.
Jaiswal said India is awaiting Kathmandu’s response on the NDRF offer and remains ready to provide whatever further assistance Nepal requires. He did not provide any update on the establishment of field hospitals.
India-China boundary talks and Jaishankar Russia visit
Jaiswal also referred to the recent round of India-China Special Representatives Talks on the boundary question between the two countries. He said the media release issued after the talks reaffirmed both sides’ commitment to advancing negotiations towards a boundary settlement, in line with the 2005 Agreement on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question and the consensus reached during the Special Representatives talks.
On Jaishankar’s recent visit to Russia, Jaiswal said the external affairs minister co-chaired the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) with his Russian counterpart.
Jaishankar also met the Russian foreign minister and spoke with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, during the visit. Energy cooperation was an important part of the discussions, while India continues to remain in touch with both sides to strengthen cooperation across a range of areas.