Deadly Nepal Floods Claim Over 1,300 Lives, Rescue Efforts Intensify

Heavy rains have turned the hills of central Nepal into a nightmare. Flash floods and landslides have swept through villages, wiping out homes and claiming 1,331 lives, according to the latest police figures released on Saturday evening.

Rescue teams are still scouring the wreckage. A Chinese worker was pulled alive from the Upper Trishuli‑1 hydropower tunnel, and a 64‑year‑old woman was rescued in Betrawati, Nuwakot. Yet many families remain in anguish, waiting for news of missing relatives.

India has stepped in with a visible presence on the ground. Soldiers and engineers from the Indian Embassy are alongside Nepal’s army inside the Chilime Tunnel, painstakingly clearing mud, water and debris that now hug the tunnel’s roof. Ambassador Naveen Srivastava explained that the work is crucial to allow heavy machinery to reach deeper sections, and an access road is being built from Syafrubesi to the tunnel portal because helicopters can’t operate in the narrow valley.

Beyond the tunnel, New Delhi has already flown seven cargo planes carrying roughly 95 tonnes of relief supplies. The Ministry of External Affairs said 54 specialists have landed in Kathmandu – 30 tunnel‑rescue experts, 19 forensic analysts and a five‑person medical team – to support Nepalese authorities.

ME​A spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal promised more aid, mentioning upcoming shipments of forensic kits and Bailey bridges that Nepal has requested. “We will continue to provide assistance as per the requirements of the Nepal government,” he said.

The joint effort underscores the close ties between the two neighbours, even as both grapple with a disaster that has reshaped the landscape and left entire communities stranded. As the water recedes, the focus now shifts to finding the missing, providing shelter and beginning the long process of rebuilding.