More than 300 Indians are among thousands of people reported missing after flash floods struck Nepal’s Rasuwa region along the Nepal-Tibet border, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said Thursday.
The floods, triggered after an avalanche blocked the flow of the Lhende tributary of the Bhotekoshi River, swept through three districts on Wednesday. Timure, near the Rasuwagadhi border point with China, was among the worst-hit areas.
Khanal said more than 160 people had died and thousands remained untraced, while authorities were still assessing the scale of the disaster.
“Thousands of families have lost homes and are missing as of now. We are still trying to ascertain the full extent of the disaster,” he said. Nepal Police later put the death toll at 162.
The number of Indians reported missing has risen from the 133 Indians and 37 non-resident Indians reported missing on Wednesday. At least 50 of those missing were pilgrims travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has been coordinating with Nepalese authorities on rescue and relief efforts and has issued emergency helpline numbers for affected Indian nationals: +977 985 131 6807 and +977 970 910 7500.
The Nepal Tourism Board has also activated emergency helplines, including the toll-free number 1234, hotline 1144 and Tourist Police number 9851289445.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Beijing has issued a WhatsApp helpline at 0086 185 1428 4905 for assistance.
(With inputs from PTI)