'Learned on arrival...': Shashi Tharoor reaches Kathmandu amid Nepal floods, says he was ‘unaware’

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor reached Kathmandu on Wednesday, unaware of the devastating flash floods that had struck northern Nepal, and later expressed concern over the loss of lives and widespread destruction.

The disaster in Nepal's Rasuwa district, near the Tibet border, has killed at least 177 people, while more than 800 remain missing, according to authorities on Thursday.

Tharoor learns of devastation after landing

Tharoor said he was unaware of the unfolding crisis when he travelled to Kathmandu.

"Took off for Kathmandu yesterday, blissfully unaware of the drama that had taken place in the hills and caused such catastrophic damage," Tharoor said in a post on X.

The senior Congress leader said he learned about the scale of the disaster only after arriving in the Nepalese capital.

"Learned on arrival of the loss of life (now confirmed at 160 so far) and the fact that some 2000 or more people are estimated to be missing," the Thiruvananthapuram MP said.

Tharoor also backed the Indian government's decision to extend immediate assistance to Nepal.

"I fully support the Indian government's immediate pledge of relief assistance. Nepal needs all the help it can get," Tharoor said.

Concern over Indian tourists

The Congress MP also expressed concern about Indians who were caught in the floods, including those travelling for the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra.

"My heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones, who include large numbers of Indian tourists, including a hundred performing the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra."

"Prayers for the missing; may they be rescued soon," the former Union Minister added.

Rescue efforts continue

The sudden flash flood caused extensive destruction along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers. Officials said dozens of bridges were destroyed and nearly 40 kilometres of roads damaged, complicating rescue operations.

The Nepali Army carried out helicopter operations on Thursday morning and rescued more than 100 people from affected areas, army spokesperson Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet said.

Across the border in Tibet, Chinese state media reported three deaths and 558 people missing following the floods.