India’s Mission Amid Nepal’s Devastating Floods: Hundreds Missing, Rescue Efforts Ongoing

Roughly a month after the monsoon‑triggered deluge ripped through Nepal’s hilly terrain, the toll continues to climb. Official numbers released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Authority (NDRRMA) put the death count at 1,294, with more than 5,000 people still unaccounted for.

Among the missing are 275 Indian nationals, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday. The ministry also confirmed that 169 Indians have been rescued so far – a small relief amid the overwhelming devastation.

Just yesterday, three more members of the Pawar family – Abhijit Suresh Pawar, his wife Dipika, and their five‑year‑old son Samarth – were plucked from the flood‑swamped Trishuli Bazaar. Their safe passage home is being coordinated by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, which is arranging air travel for the family.

India’s response has been more than words. Two Indian cargo aircraft flew in a combined 21 tons of relief supplies on a single day, bringing the total to roughly 95 tons delivered over seven flights. The cargo includes food, medical kits, forensic equipment and even portable Bailey bridges to reconnect cut‑off villages.

On the ground, a contingent of 54 Indian specialists – 30 tunnel‑rescue experts, 19 forensic officers and a five‑person medical team – are working side‑by‑side with Nepalese authorities. Their expertise is especially crucial after the tragic collapse of the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project tunnel, where rescue teams managed to pull two survivors out on September 4.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s own rescue machinery is in overdrive. More than 21,000 security personnel – including almost 9,300 Nepali Army troops, 7,900 police officers and 4,200 members of the Armed Police Force – have been deployed. Helicopter support is extensive, with the army conducting 881 flights and private operators adding another 129.

So far, the combined efforts have saved over 13,000 people, among them 303 foreign nationals. Yet the human cost remains stark: 4,627 displaced families are crammed into 37 temporary shelters across Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, while 5,663 injured individuals receive treatment in field hospitals.

Infrastructure has taken a severe beating. NDRRMA’s assessment notes that 7,570 homes are damaged, affecting nearly 33,000 residents. Roads, bridges and public buildings have been ripped apart – 55 km of roads completely destroyed, 37 motorable bridges, 68 suspension bridges, dozens of schools and health centres rendered unusable.

To help the worst‑hit districts, the Nepali government has earmarked cash aid – NPR 10 million each for Rasuwa and Nuwakot, NPR 5 million for Dhading and a total of NPR 135 million spread across fifteen local bodies.

India’s MEA says it remains in constant touch with Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Indian state governments and local officials, sharing names of rescued citizens as they become known. The ministry also highlighted that 1,907 Indian nationals have safely entered Nepal from the Chinese border, and that, according to Chinese sources, no Indians are stranded in the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

As rescue operations press on, the hope is that each new rescue call will bring a family a step closer to home, and that the flood‑scarred valleys of Nepal will soon begin to heal.