Play store
At least 275 Indian nationals remain missing in Nepal following devastating floods and flash floods, while another 128 people of Indian origin are also unaccounted for, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs. The figures were reported by BBC News on Monday.
New Delhi has stepped up efforts to rescue Indian nationals stranded in Nepal following the disaster. Alongside search and rescue operations, authorities are placing particular emphasis on forensic procedures to identify those who remain missing and the bodies recovered from affected areas.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, 403 Indian nationals had entered Nepal from China, many of whom remain unaccounted for. Meanwhile, around 500 Indian nationals are reportedly safe in China.
So far, 149 Indian nationals have been rescued from the disaster-hit areas of Nepal.
To assist Nepal with search, identification and recovery operations, India has sent a 19-member specialised forensic team, which has already begun work in Kathmandu.
The team is helping authorities collect and analyse DNA samples to establish the identities of missing people and recovered bodies.
The forensic support has become particularly important as difficult terrain and severely disrupted communications are hampering search and rescue operations in several affected areas.
The floods and flash floods have caused widespread destruction in parts of Nepal, leaving large numbers of people stranded or missing. Rescue teams are continuing efforts to reach isolated areas and locate those still unaccounted for.
Indian authorities are also coordinating with Nepalese officials to gather information about missing nationals and facilitate the return of those rescued.
The latest figures underline the scale of the crisis and the challenges facing rescue and identification teams as they work in areas where roads and other transport links have been badly damaged.
