New Delhi [India], August 28 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has released the names of 63 Indian nationals working at the Trishuli-I project in Nepal who have been rescued amid the devastating flash floods that have wreaked havoc across the Himalayan nation.
In a post on X on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the names while saying, "Update on Indian nationals rescued in Nepal."
Update on Indian nationals rescued in Nepal.
Please see the names of 63 Indian nationals working at Trishuli-I project in Nepal who have been rescued:
Details below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/NdXEwgZmYN
"Please see the names of 63 Indian nationals working at Trishuli-I project in Nepal who have been rescued," Jaiswal said.
The release of the names comes as the MEA, in its 8 pm update, said that the 63 workers of the Trishuli-I project and 21 people from Tamil Nadu have been rescued.
The 21 Tamil Nadu nationals had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
As the devastating flash floods wreaked havoc across Nepal, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday stated that 84 Indian nationals have been rescued. At the same time, 290 remain uncontactable as the Himalayan nation stepped up search, rescue and relief operations following the disaster that has claimed at least 359 lives.
The MEA said efforts were continuing to ascertain the whereabouts and ensure the safety of Indian nationals who remain uncontactable in the flood-affected areas.
Meanwhile, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Thursday established an Emergency Control Room (ECR) to coordinate assistance for foreign nationals affected by the devastating Bhotekoshi flash floods in Rasuwa district, which have caused massive loss of life, extensive infrastructure damage and reports of missing persons.
In a notice, the ministry said the ECR will serve as the central coordinating body for search and rescue, information verification and consular assistance for foreign nationals affected by, missing in, or otherwise connected to the flood incident.
Nepal grapples with the aftermath of a major flash flood that struck the Rasuwa district on Wednesday morning, sending a powerful surge of water, sediment and boulders through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems.
According to the latest update from Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 359 bodies have been recovered, while 910 people remain missing or out of contact.
Casualties have been reported from eight districts, with Chitwan recording the highest number of recovered bodies at 132, followed by Nawalparasi East with 82, Gorkha with 30, Dhading with 33, Nuwakot with 28, Tanahun with 22, Rasuwa with 17, and Nawalparasi West with 15.
The NDRRMA said the 910 people listed as missing or out of contact include 28 Nepal Police personnel, 44 Nepal Army personnel, 13 Armed Police Force personnel, 15 Customs Office personnel and four Immigration Office personnel. Rasuwa alone accounts for 161 missing or out-of-contact people, while one person has been reported missing in Nuwakot.
The disaster has also affected foreign nationals, with 517 foreign citizens reported missing or out of contact, while 127 Nepali citizens living abroad who were visiting Nepal have also been listed.
After visiting flood-hit Nuwakot, Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah said that the situation remained challenging and that the country's state machinery was operating at "full capacity".
"The situation is still challenging. All state mechanisms are operating at full capacity. Right now, our first priority is to save the lives of each and every citizen, search and rescue of the missing, treat the injured and provide immediate relief to the affected families," Shah said in a statement on Facebook.
The Prime Minister said 13,295 security personnel from the Nepal Police, Nepal Army and Armed Police Force had been mobilised for search and rescue operations.
The deployment includes 7,250 Nepal Police personnel, 4,200 Nepal Army personnel and 1,845 Armed Police Force personnel.
Shah said rescue operations were also being carried out by both air and land, with 573 people rescued through 69 air flights today.
Temporary accommodation has been arranged in schools and public or community buildings for around 3,500 people.
For immediate relief, NPR 10 million each has been mobilised for Rasuwa and Nuwakot and NPR 5 million for Dhading.
India has also stepped up humanitarian assistance to Nepal. The MEA said earlier that two aircraft carrying emergency supplies had been sent to Kathmandu.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the assistance included medicines and food items, with India's total emergency supplies reaching 47.5 tonnes.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said that the second flight carried 37.5 tonnes of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief material, medicines and food packets.
"A second flight has just taken off, carrying 37.5 tonnes of HADR material, medicines & food packets for Nepal. India remains in close and continuous touch with the Nepalese authorities. We will continue to strongly support the ongoing relief efforts," Jaishankar said in a post on X.
India had earlier dispatched 10 tonnes of HADR assistance and essential medicines to support Nepal's flood response.
Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established an Emergency Response Team to coordinate search, rescue, information verification and consular assistance concerning foreign nationals affected by the Rasuwa flash flood.
The authorities continue to conduct search and rescue operations across the affected districts as efforts intensify to locate those still missing, assist stranded people and restore damaged infrastructure. (ANI)
