288 Indians Uncontactable After Nepal Floods, 21 Rescued: MEA

As Nepal continues to deal with the devastation caused by massive flash floods, India said on Thursday that 288 Indian nationals remain uncontactable, while 21 others have been rescued and are being assisted in returning home.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India was working closely with Nepalese authorities to trace the missing Indians, particularly as communication networks in several affected areas have been severely disrupted.

Addressing a special media briefing in New Delhi, Jaiswal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Wednesday and conveyed India's solidarity with Nepal, while offering all possible humanitarian assistance.

Providing details of the Indians who remain out of contact, Jaiswal said 73 of them are employees working on the under-construction Trishuli-1 Power Project. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu is coordinating with the project's management to obtain further information.

The remaining people include several groups of Indian pilgrims who were travelling to Kailash Mansarovar.

Two groups of 37 and 49 Indians from Tamil Nadu travelled through separate travel operators, Samrat and Fly Everest. Another group of 32 Indians from West Bengal travelled with Samrat Travels and was in Timure in Rasuwa district, one of the areas badly affected by the disaster.

In addition, 61 Indians from different states travelled through Richa Tours, while another group of 33 Indians from Kerala is also among those currently uncontactable.

Jaiswal said these groups account for the bulk of the 288 Indians whose whereabouts have not yet been confirmed.

"We are making all efforts to reach out to our people through the Nepalese authorities. We will have more updates on this particular matter and will try to keep you updated as soon as possible," he said.

India has so far managed to rescue 21 Indian nationals. According to Jaiswal, all 21 are from Tamil Nadu. The Indian Embassy and Ambassador have spoken to the rescued pilgrims and assured them of all possible assistance.

The group is expected to reach Kathmandu, after which arrangements will be made for their return to India.

The humanitarian situation has become particularly challenging because the floods damaged roads, communication networks and other infrastructure in the affected region. The disaster, which originated in the Tibetan region of China and swept through the transboundary Bhote Koshi River, has caused extensive destruction in Nepal. Nepali authorities have reported more than 270 deaths and over 800 people still out of contact.

India is also assisting its nationals stranded on the Chinese side of the Kailash Mansarovar route. Jaiswal said around 200 Indian nationals had sought assistance for evacuation from China.

Of these, approximately 95 are in Darchen and are moving towards Hilsa to cross into Nepal. Four others are in Guilin, while around 30 are in Zutulpuk and travelling towards Saga. Another 60–70 Indians are also heading towards Saga.

The Indian Embassy in Beijing is coordinating with Chinese authorities for their safe evacuation and is also trying to locate anyone who may be missing.

Jaiswal further said India had received preliminary information about some persons of Indian origin who were also uncontactable. This includes a large group associated with the Isha Foundation, comprising people of Indian origin as well as some foreign nationals and possibly Indian citizens.

He stressed that the figures remain subject to change as authorities receive fresh information from the affected areas.

The evolving situation underscores the difficulty of conducting rescue and tracing operations in the remote Himalayan region, where damaged infrastructure and disrupted communications are making it difficult for governments to establish the whereabouts of travellers and workers.

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