Nepal floods: Toll rises to 675; 4 Indians rescued, 287 still missing at Rasuwa project

Seven Keralites remain uncontactable after Nepal floods

Seven people from Keralam, including four Australian citizens, remain unreachable following the flash floods in Nepal, while the safety of 45 others has been confirmed, NORKA Roots said on Saturday.

NORKA Roots is the Keralam government agency that coordinates overseas affairs and welfare services for non-resident Keralites

In a statement, NORKA Roots said that details of the seven people who remain uncontactable have been shared with the Ministry of External Affairs.

NORKA Roots said 16 people from the state who had contacted its help desks have returned home, including Rineeth Mohan, a native of Piravom in Ernakulam, who had travelled to Nepal on August 23.

Mohan was near Pokhara when the floods occurred and could not be contacted after losing his phone while travelling to Delhi.

He reached home on Saturday afternoon after boarding a train from Delhi on August 27, the statement said.

A 14-member group from Kochi was also among those who returned.

Saved by God, happy to be back, say Maharashtra tourists after returning from Nepal

Tourists from Maharashtra, who returned to Mumbai on Saturday from Nepal that was struck by devastating floods earlier this week, heaved a sigh of relief, with many saying they felt they had been "saved by God".

They also expressed gratitude to the Centre and the state government for helping them return home safely.

A total of 37 tourists returned to Mumbai this evening from the Himalayan nation.

"We are happy that we came back safely. We feel like we have been saved by God. The Union and Maharashtra governments helped us on our way back home and we are grateful to them," one of the returnees said on arrival at the Mumbai airport.

Another tourist, who was part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, recalled the moment they realised the scale of the devastation caused by the flash floods.

"By God's grace, we came back safely. We had reached Saga (in Tibet) on August 26 and then realised the devastation the flash floods had caused," he said.

The tourist said the group was delayed by a day compared to its original schedule but did not face any major inconvenience during their return journey.

"Even the coordination between the Chinese and Nepal governments was smooth," he said, recalling the arrangements made amid the difficult circumstances.

For another woman tourist, the safe return was nothing short of divine intervention.

"All of God's blessings were behind us, and thus we could safely complete our Kailash mountain tour," she said.

UP government rules out threat from Nepal disaster to state

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said no flood victim in the state would be allowed to face any hardship, while the water minister asserted that Nepal's recent flood disaster posed no threat to the state, but authorities remained on alert.

The CM reviewed the situation in flood-affected areas of Ballia and distributed relief material, according to a statement released here.

The Chief Minister said excessive rainfall over the past few days has caused flooding in 26 districts, affecting more than 1.71 lakh people and 251 villages.

Adityanath conducted an aerial survey and said villages in the Bansdih, Ballia and Bairia areas had been affected by inundation and erosion.

"We are continuously in touch with public representatives and the administration, and officials have been instructed through video conferencing to ensure that no flood victim faces any problem," he said, according to the statement.

The Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday that four Indians had been rescued from the Rasuwa hydropower project, while 287 others remain unaccounted for.

Nepal's private, public sectors pledge millions to disaster relief fund

Nepal's public sector, private companies and individuals have pledged millions of rupees to the disaster relief fund as the Himalayan nation continues its fight against one of its worst natural disasters that has killed over 600 people.

Nepal's private companies, banks, insurers and individual donors have decided to contribute to the disaster relief fund to help victims, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The contributions to the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund will help authorities treat the injured and provide food and shelter to families displaced by the disaster.

The contributions poured in even as the full scale of the damage to homes, infrastructure and livelihoods is still being assessed, the report said.

87-year-old philanthropist Raji Rana met Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle on Friday and personally handed over NPR 10.98 million for relief efforts.

Nepal praises India's efforts in times of crisis

Nepal on Saturday praised India's efforts towards helping it in times of crisis, and described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "exceptionally generous", in the wake of the devastating flood in the country that has killed more than 600.

Nepal Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle said that New Delhi has indicated it would provide generous assistance for reconstruction, PTI reported.

Wagle said Nepal was dealing with the crisis "in phases".

"The immediate priority is to rescue people who can be saved, including those stranded or trapped in hydropower plants," said the finance minister, adding that the Nepal Army has airlifted 1,930 people.

He further said efforts were underway to airlift relief supplies to areas such as Dhunche, Rasuwa and Syaphru Besi, which had been cut off after roads were damaged.

"The next phase will focus on early recovery, including temporary shelters and cash-for-work programmes, followed by the daunting task of reconstruction," he added.

UK deploys rapid response team to Nepal to support Brits

The UK has sent a Rapid Deployment Team to Nepal to support its 33 nationals affected by the devastating floods in the Himalayan nation even as appeals and prayers continue here by their family members, several of them British Indians.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the Rapid Deployment Team will be in action in Kathmandu from Saturday, providing additional support on the ground and coordinating assistance for British nationals arriving at and departing from the airport.

This is over and above the 5 million pounds of humanitarian support for relief and recovery efforts already pledged.

Indian pilgrims stranded in Tibet return to Nepal

A large number of Indian pilgrims stranded in Tibet began returning to Nepal on Saturday through an alternate border point after massive flash floods destroyed the Gyirong border post.

The Gyirong-Nepal border post is the main entry and exit point for Tibet through Nepal. Hundreds of foreign tourists, most of them pilgrims taking part in Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, were stranded after the post was destroyed in Wednesday's devastating flash floods, which have killed over 600 people.

Stranded pilgrims, including several Indians, began crossing into Nepal through the Zhangmu border point, which was closed earlier due to earthquakes and landslides in the region.

Former Chairman of Defence Research and Development Organisation G Sateesh Reddy was among the Indian pilgrims who returned to the Nepal border on Saturday through Zhangmu.

Talking to PTI here while travelling to the border point, Reddy said, “I can see a lot of buses and vehicles travelling en route to Nepal through Zhangmu border point."

Authorities warn of fresh rainfall

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has indicated heavy rain in the hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki provinces, the hilly areas of Karnali, and the Terai regions of Lumbini and Sudurpashchim provinces, The Rising Nepal media portal said.

Meteorologist Hari Prasad Dahal said most places in the Bhotekoshi flood-affected area in Rasuwa are likely to receive moderate rainfall on Saturday. “Heavy rain may occur in one or two places, which is likely to affect search and rescue operations. Therefore, precaution is necessary,” he added.

The meteorology department also indicated a possibility of moderate rainfall with thunder and lightning as well as snowfall in many places in the country’s hilly and mountainous regions from Saturday afternoon.

The regions of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces, along with some other hilly and mountainous areas, may experience rainfall with thunder and lightning as well as snow, it said.

Amitabh Bachchan expresses concern over Nepal floods

"The devastation is unbearable to watch", said actor Amitabh Bachchan as he expressed his concern over the Nepal floods.

A sudden, massive flood swept down the Bhote Koshi in Rasuwa district bordering Tibet on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people and causing widespread damage to settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.

Bachchan shared a note on his blog on Saturday as he addressed the natural calamity. "On a more serious note the devastation of the floods in Nepal are unbearable to watch," he wrote.

"The fury of nature can never be battled with .. its respect needs the presence of the divine .. we pray .. for that in itself is beyond all," he added.

Death toll from flash floods rises to 7 in Tibet; 554 still missing

The death toll from flash floods in Tibet near the Nepal border has climbed to seven, with 554 people still missing as rescue and relief teams intensified efforts in the affected areas, the Tibet emergency management department said on Saturday.

The flash floods hit Gyirong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region on Wednesday, sweeping through villages and towns near the border area with Nepal.

The death toll in the region has risen to seven, while 554 people are still missing, Tibet's emergency management department said.

Among the missing, 260 have been identified as foreign nationals but their nationalities have not been released yet.

Chinese officials said on Friday more than 1,000 people, including 555 tourists and 499 locals, were evacuated from Gyirong County.

No tourist remains stranded in the area now, the official media reported.

3 bodies recovered from river in UP's Kushinagar

Three bodies were recovered from the Gandak river in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar district after they apparently drifted into Indian territory from Nepal amid the devastating floods in the neighbouring country, officials said on Saturday.

The bodies were spotted near barrage pier number 3 in the Madanpur-Sukrauli area of Khadda on Friday, following which police and administrative officials reached the spot and began efforts to ascertain their identities, they said.

Khadda SHO Sandeep Singh said the bodies were spotted floating in the river by monitoring teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and subsequently taken out.

The information about the recovered bodies had been shared with authorities in the neighbouring districts of Nepal to help establish their identities.

The bodies could not be identified immediately.

Tearful embraces, hushed prayers mark scene as Nepal flood survivors arrive in Chennai

Tearful embraces, hushed prayers, and narrow escape marked the scene at the airport here as the Nepal flood survivors arrived safely.

21 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, caught in the jaws of catastrophic disaster in Nepal, set foot on home soil, carrying with them memories of horror and astonishment of having survived.

The group was part of a larger contingent undertaking the sacred Kailash Manasarovar Yatra when tragedy struck on August 26. A sudden, violent burst of flash floods and massive landslides tore through the mountainous Rasuwagadhi region near the Nepal-China border, transforming a serene spiritual journey into a desperate fight for life.

"It felt like a tsunami falling from the mountains," said one survivor, trembling as she embraced her weeping family. "Within seconds, the water swept away everything. The entire market area in Timure disappeared right before our eyes," she said.

India rushes 62-tonne aid to Nepal

India has sent 62 tonnes of emergency relief supplies to Nepal after devastating flash floods struck the Himalayan nation on Wednesday, becoming the first major country to physically deliver humanitarian assistance following the disaster.

The swift response has highlighted India’s “first responder” role in the region, with the country having provided emergency assistance during disasters in several countries in recent years. Read the full story here.

Kharge writes to PM for rescue, evacuation of Indians stranded in flood-hit Nepal

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to intensify rescue and evacuation efforts for all Indians stranded in flood-hit Nepal and arrange for their safe return to India.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Kharge also urged him to ensure that adequate assistance is provided to the affected people of Nepal in coordination with the their government.

Expressing concern over the devastating floods in the neighbouring country, he said they caused widespread loss of life and property.

Citing recent media reports, he said more than 500 people have lost their lives, and nearly 1,000 people are still missing.

The disaster has left thousands of people in dire urgent need of food, medicines, shelter and other essential assistance, he noted.

"I request you to ensure that adequate humanitarian and relief assistance is provided to the affected people of Nepal in coordination with the Government of Nepal.

"I am also concerned about the Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin who are stranded in different parts of Nepal due to the floods. It is requested that requisite directions are issued to the concerned authorities to intensify rescue and evacuation efforts and make all necessary arrangements for their safe and early return to India," the Congress chief said.

Nepal asks India, China for Bailey bridges after floods damage roads, bridges

Nepal has sought Bailey bridges from India and China to restore connectivity after devastating floods damaged roads and bridges across the Himalayan region, Nepal’s foreign minister said, according to Reuters.

A Bailey bridge is a temporary, prefabricated structure made primarily from steel panels that can be assembled quickly at the site.

Such bridges are particularly useful in the aftermath of floods, earthquakes and landslides, when permanent bridges are destroyed or severely damaged.

For Nepal, Bailey bridges could provide a quick way to reconnect isolated areas, allowing vehicles, rescue teams and relief supplies to cross rivers and damaged stretches of roads.

No update on group of 77 pilgrims of Isha Foundation missing in Tibet

There has been no update on the whereabouts of a group of 77 pilgrims from the Isha Foundation that went missing after a massive flash flood struck areas near the China-Nepal border two days ago, the group’s coordinator said on Friday.

The 77-member group, led by Isha Foundation, an organisation founded by Indian spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev, Sadhguru, has remained out of contact.

Maa Gambhiri, a coordinator at the group, told PTI that Sadhguru wanted to visit Gyirong, the ground zero of the disaster, to help but did not get the necessary approval.

She said they had participants from 19 nationalities and they reached out to every embassy in India, China and Nepal to get all the support they could. She said they also reached out to various offices and ministries in India and Nepal to get any information and help.

"There has been no update on the 77 missing Isha Foundation pilgrims for the last two days. The rescue teams are on the ground but there is still no information yet,” she said.

“There are 77 families waiting desperately for the answers. It is an emotional turmoil for them," she added.

Nepal tightens rules for foreign journalists covering devastating floods

Nepal has introduced new requirements for foreign journalists reporting on the devastating floods, making it mandatory for international correspondents to obtain a permit before covering the disaster from affected areas.

Journalists will have to submit documents including their passports and visas, organisation-issued identity cards, a reference letter from their foreign office or embassy in Nepal, as well as details of their salary and benefits.

Applications must be submitted online, after which journalists are required to visit the Department of Information in person to collect their reporting certificate and ID card, according to The Kathmandu Post.

11-member Indian team arrives in Nepal to assist in flood operations

An 11-member Indian team arrived in Nepal on Saturday to assist local authorities following flash floods that killed more than 500 people and left nearly 2,000 others missing.

The team, which includes medical personnel and tunnel rescue experts, was sent at the request of the Nepal government, according to Indian embassy sources.

The team is being sent to areas affected by the flash floods in the Himalayan nation, where rescue and relief operations are being carried out on an immense level.

Death toll rises to 616, nearly 2,500 still missing

Police said in a post on X that the death toll from the flash floods in Nepal has risen to 616, while nearly 2,500 people remain missing.

320 Indians still missing, 400 stranded on Chinese side, says MEA

At least 320 Indians are still missing, while another 400 remain stranded on the Chinese side following the flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday night.

The MEA said 153 Indian nationals who were stranded in China have safely made their way into Nepal.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 21 Indians reached New Delhi on Friday afternoon, a day after arriving in Kathmandu from the flood-hit areas of Nepal.

He also said 63 Indian nationals working at the Trishuli-One hydropower project had been rescued.

10 from Assam missing in Nepal flash floods

10 people from Assam have been reported missing in Nepal since devastating flash floods struck the Himalayan country three days ago, an official statement said on Saturday.

Among the missing, three each are from Kamrup (Metro) and Karbi Anglong, two from Nalbari, and one each from Golaghat and Hojai districts, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said.

Earlier, the ASDMA had reported that 12 people from the state were missing in the Nepal floods. Later, it said that the family members of two persons from Nalbari have confirmed that they are safe.

The Karbi Anglong administration said that out of the three missing persons from the district, the family members of one have confirmed that he is safe, but the ASDMA is yet to ascertain his safety.

The missing persons are Dr Dipali Sarkar, Pankaj Neog and Manash Kumar Ghosh from Guwahati in Kamrup (Metro), Rhituporno Brahma, Montri Basumatary and Someswar Narzary from Karbi Anglong, Arun Nath and Dr Tirtha Chaliha from Nalbari, Rahul Daimary from Golaghat and Shatadal Nath from Hojai, the ASDMA bulletin said.