India is preparing to deploy rescue and medical teams to Nepal after a devastating flash flood killed hundreds and left many people missing. The assistance will be provided following a formal request from the Nepalese government, according to External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
Jaiswal said India will initially send a reconnaissance team to assess conditions on the ground and determine what equipment and resources will be required. Based on its findings, a larger Indian rescue team will subsequently be deployed to support ongoing operations.
India will also send a medical team to Nepal. New Delhi has further offered to construct Bailey bridges in affected areas to restore connectivity between locations cut off by the disaster.
The flash flood struck the Bhotekoshi River in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Wednesday morning. Powerful currents carrying mud and debris swept away houses, roads, vehicles and people, causing widespread destruction. According to the information provided, the death toll has reached 579, while several people remain unaccounted for.
Around 320 Indian nationals are reportedly still unreachable. Nearly 100 people of Indian origin are also missing, many of them believed to be tourists travelling to Kailash Mansarovar.
Nepal had initially indicated that it would manage rescue operations using its army, police and administrative machinery without foreign assistance. However, after repeated appeals from countries whose citizens remain missing, Kathmandu eventually agreed to international support.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken with Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah and assured India’s assistance. India had already sent relief supplies through Air Force aircraft.
China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Britain, the United States, Japan and South Korea have also offered assistance.
