Kathmandu: A five-year-old child was among three Indian nationals rescued from the flood-hit Trishuli Bazaar area of Nepal, taking the total number of Indians evacuated so far to 169, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.
The three rescued Indians were identified as Abhijit Suresh Pawar, Dipika Abhijit Pawar and their five-year-old child, Samarth Abhijit Pawar. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu is facilitating their return flight to India.
275 Indians still remain missing
Despite the continuing rescue efforts, 275 Indian nationals remain missing following the devastating floods and landslides that struck Nepal on August 26.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India remains in close contact with the Nepalese government over the missing Indians and appreciated the efforts of Nepalese authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operations.
The wider disaster has claimed at least 1,295 lives in Nepal, while around 5,000 people remain missing, according to Nepalese authorities.
More than 12,000 people have been rescued so far as teams continue to search affected areas.
India sends more relief to Nepal
India has supplied around 95 tonnes of relief material to Nepal through seven aircraft since the flash floods struck.
The assistance includes 54 personnel supporting relief and rescue operations. The team comprises 30 tunnel rescue experts, 19 forensic experts and five medical personnel, who are working alongside Nepalese authorities.
India is also preparing to send additional forensic kits, Bailey bridges and other materials requested by the Nepalese government.
Indians cross into Nepal from China
The MEA also said 1,907 Indians have safely crossed into Nepal from China following the floods. According to official information from China, no Indian travellers remain stranded in the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
The latest evacuation comes as Nepal continues to deal with widespread damage to its transport infrastructure. The floods have damaged 35 motorable bridges, 45 suspension bridges and around 40 km of black-topped roads, particularly in central Nepal.
India has said it will continue supporting Nepal’s relief, reconstruction and recovery efforts as the country works to cope with the scale of the disaster.