Nepal Floods: MEA Confirmed 288 Indians Missing

New Delhi: India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday confirmed that 288 Indian nationals remain untraceable following the devastating flash floods that struck the Nepal-Tibet border region. To coordinate rescue efforts and assist affected families, the MEA has established a special Control Room at its headquarters.

Details of the 288 Missing Indians:

Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project: A total of 73 Indian employees working at the Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project are currently unaccounted for. The Indian Embassy is in constant touch with the project authorities.

Tamil Nadu Pilgrims: Two separate groups of pilgrims from Tamil Nadu—37 and 49 people—who were travelling to Kailash Mansarovar with Samrat Travels and Fly Everest Travels have lost contact.

West Bengal Group: 32 residents of West Bengal, travelling with Samrat Travels, are stranded in Timure in Nepal’s flood-hit Rasuwa district.

Other State Groups: Another 61 pilgrims from different states travelling with Richa Tours, along with 33 people from Kerala, are also reported missing.

The MEA said communication networks in the affected areas have been completely disrupted, making it impossible to establish direct contact with those missing. The floods have also affected the Tibet-China border region, where around 150 Indian nationals are reported missing. Meanwhile, over 200 Indians who are safe have requested evacuation assistance.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), 95 Indian nationals are travelling from Darchen to Hilsa, four are currently in Gyirong (Jilong), 30 are staying in Zuthulpuk, and the remaining 60–70 people are on their way to Saga Camp. The MEA also stated that contact has been lost with several Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) associated with the Isha Foundation, as well as a number of foreign nationals, due to the disruption caused by the devastating floods.

The MEA said that contact has also been lost with several Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) associated with the Isha Foundation, as well as a number of foreign nationals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and assured all possible assistance for rescue and relief operations.

Emergency Helpline Numbers:

The Embassy of India in Kathmandu has issued 24×7 emergency helpline numbers for the families of those affected:

+977 985 131 6807

+977 970 910 7500