320 Indians still missing after Nepal flash floods; death toll rises to 547

NEW DELHI: There is still no information about 320 Indians who were caught in the flash floods in Nepal. The missing include around 100 people of Indian origin, including pilgrims who had travelled from the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore for the Mansarovar pilgrimage.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 96 of the 200 people stranded in the Tibetan region had reached Nepal. More than 400 Indians stranded on the Chinese side are safe, and the Indian Embassy in Beijing is working to bring them back.

The official death toll from the disaster has reached 547 and is expected to rise. Around 1,500 people are still missing.

Among the missing Indians are workers at the Trishuli hydropower project site. They are suspected to be trapped inside a tunnel. Sixty-three Indian workers have been rescued so far. The Nepal Army has evacuated more than 350 people, but around 100 others are still believed to be stranded.

Meanwhile, 21 Mansarovar pilgrims from Tamil Nadu were brought back to India on Friday.

Authorities continue to maintain a high alert in areas of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar that share a border with Nepal.

Details of Indians rescued from the disaster are available on the Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority's website ndrrma.gov.np/np/rescue.

India sends material for Bailey bridges

• India has sent materials required to build Bailey bridges following a request from Nepal. Another 10 tonnes of relief material was sent on Friday, taking the total assistance provided so far to 57.5 tonnes.
• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar chaired a meeting in New Delhi to review the situation. The Indian ambassadors in Kathmandu and Beijing also joined the meeting online.
• Details of those rescued, including Indian nationals, are available on the Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority's website ndrrma.gov.np/np/rescue.

Eight Malayalis still missing

NORKA said 60 Malayalis stranded in Nepal and Tibet are safe, while eight others are yet to be traced. A 23-member group, including 19 people from Kerala who were stranded during a Kailash pilgrimage, is expected to reach Kathmandu today. Some members of the group have already reached Darjeeling.