Jaishankar receives 21 pilgrims rescued from Nepal floods in Delhi; 320 Indians still missing

Several Tamil Nadu government ministers, including Aadhav Arjuna and Rajmohan, were present to receive and interact with the pilgrims. The ministers also visited the helpline and control room and reviewed its functioning.

The ministers enquired about the well-being of the rescued Tamils and assured them of necessary support, according to information shared by TVK.

"I welcomed a group comprising 21 tourists from Tamil Nadu who were rescued from the floods that occurred in Nepal. I was deeply moved upon hearing their experiences firsthand," Jaishankar said in a post on X.

"I express my gratitude to the Nepali Army and the government of that country for carrying out this rescue operation. I commend the efforts of the Indian Embassy in Nepal in smoothly coordinating their return to India," he added.

As rescue and relief operations continue in flood-hit Nepal, 320 Indian nationals remain "uncontactable" while around 100 persons of Indian origin are also yet to be reached out to, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday, underlining that the figures remain fluid as authorities work to reconcile multiple lists of missing people.

Meanwhile, the death toll from Nepal's devastating flash floods in the Bhotekoshi River area of Rasuwa has risen to 538, while 977 people remain missing, according to an update from Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).

The figures, as of 3:00 PM local time on Friday, paint a grim picture of the disaster's scale as authorities continue search, rescue, and relief operations across affected areas following Wednesday's catastrophic flooding.

Of the 538 bodies recovered, the highest number was recorded in Chitwan with 221, followed by 134 in Nawalparasi East. Authorities have also recovered 46 bodies or human remains in Gorkha, 37 in Nuwakot, 33 in Dhading, 28 in Tanahun, 27 in Nawalparasi West, and 12 in Rasuwa.

The number of missing individuals stands at 977, including foreign nationals, non-resident Nepalis visiting the country, security personnel, and government officials. Foreign nationals account for 517 of the missing, while 161 were reported missing through the Rasuwa District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC).

Another 127 are Nepali citizens living abroad who were visiting the country, and 66 were reported missing through the Makwanpur DEOC. The missing list also includes 45 Nepal Army personnel, 28 Nepal Police personnel, 15 Customs Office personnel, 13 Armed Police Force personnel, four Immigration Office personnel, and one person reported through the Nuwakot DEOC.

At least 73 people have been injured, including 43 in Rasuwa, 27 in Nuwakot, and three in Dhading.

Authorities have mobilised 14,821 security personnel for search and rescue operations, the NDRRMA report stated, comprising 6,698 personnel from the Nepal Army, 4,473 from the Nepal Police, and 3,650 from the Armed Police Force. (ANI)