Kathmandu: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said that it was important that India responded immediately to the devastating flash flood crisis in Nepal and that it should provide whatever assistance the neighbouring country needs at this critical time.
Talking to IANS, Tharoor said: “I think it’s very important that India responded immediately to the tragedy. As you know, our Prime Minister called his counterpart. We immediately provided relief supplies, and we hope more assistance is coming.”
He stressed that Nepal should receive all the help it requires as the scale of devastation caused by the floods has been catastrophic.
“What is more important is that Nepal gets all the help it needs. The devastation has been catastrophic. We have not only lost lives, but villages have also been destroyed. Eighteen bridges are gone, highways have been affected, and I am told that eight hydroelectric power stations have been damaged. It’s a very serious situation,” he told IANS.
Tharoor said the situation remained particularly worrying as many people were still missing, raising fears that the final death toll could rise significantly.
“On top of all of that, there are still so many people who are missing right now. The final casualty figure could be very, very high. We only know about 160 confirmed deaths so far. Some people say 180, but it could run into four figures,” he said.
Expressing hope over reports that 20 Indian tourists had been found, Tharoor said efforts must continue to locate others who remain missing.
“We hope the others will also be found. We pray for all the missing people. It’s a very tough time for the families who have lost their loved ones,” he said.
The Congress MP added that India should extend assistance based on Nepal’s specific requirements.
“I think we should do whatever Nepal needs at this moment. Nepal Police, the Army and everyone are out there. If they feel they need our help, we should provide it. If they need technical help or anything else, we should respond. In all these situations, it’s not about what we wish to send, but what they need from us. That is what matters,” he told IANS.
Earlier in the day, Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal confirmed that at least 300 Indian nationals, most of them pilgrims travelling to the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, have been reported missing following the devastating flash floods that struck the Himalayan nation.
Speaking during the NDTV World Anviksha Summit in Kathmandu, Khanal said 160 people had died, and thousands remained untraced following the tragedy in the Rasuwa region, as authorities continued efforts to assess the scale of the destruction and trace those missing. However, the official death toll has now climbed to 177.
“Town after town were wiped out within hours,” Khanal said, adding, “Thousands of families have lost homes and are missing as of now. We are still trying to ascertain the full extent of the disaster.”
(IANS)
