New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Thursday held a review meeting with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, senior officials of the Ministry and India’s Ambassadors in Kathmandu and Beijing on the devastating flood situation in Nepal.
EAM Jaishankar stated that efforts are being made to ascertain the status and well-being of Indians in the flood-affected areas.
The meeting comes on back of catastrophic flash floods in Nepal’s Bhote Koshi River that led to death of over 175 people while more than 800 going missing.
Sharing details regarding the meeting on X, EAM Jaishankar stated, “Held a review meeting with Foreign Secretary, Team MEA and our Ambassadors in Kathmandu and Beijing on the Nepal flood disaster. Urgent efforts are underway to ascertain the status and well-being of all Indians in the flood-affected areas.”
“MEA is coordinating with various Ministries, State Governments, tour operators and project authorities in this regard. We are working closely with the Nepali side, both on this aspect and on the relief efforts,” he added.
Earlier in the day, India dispatched a second flight carrying 37.5 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, medicines, and food packets to support Nepal’s relief efforts after devastating flash floods.
The massive flood, originating in the Tibetan region of China, swept through the transboundary Bhote Koshi River, leaving a trail of destruction in Nepal.
Nepal Police said in a notice that the bodies of 177 people had been recovered as of 10 am Thursday, as the death toll from the disaster continued to rise.
The bodies were recovered from riverbanks in several downstream districts along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan, Gorkha, Tanahun, Nawalparasi (East) and Nawalparasi West. Most of the bodies were recovered in Chitwan, in Nepal’s southern plains.
The Nepali government said rescue efforts continued from early Thursday morning, as more than 800 people remained out of contact after the flood swept through human settlements, hydropower projects, customs offices and electricity infrastructure, among other areas.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), as many as 826 people remained out of contact as of 11 am Thursday. Of them, 579 were tourists, although the authority did not clarify whether they were foreign tourists, domestic tourists or both.
Likewise, 48 Nepali Army personnel, 28 Nepal Police personnel, 13 Armed Police Force (APF) personnel, and 162 other people from Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts remained out of contact.
(IANS)
