At least 320 Indians remain missing and around 400 others are stranded on the Chinese side following devastating flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.
India is ready to extend all possible help to Kathmandu in its rescue efforts, the ministry said.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 96 Indian nationals who were stranded on the Chinese side had safely crossed into Nepal by land.
Twenty-one Indians arrived in New Delhi on Friday afternoon, a day after reaching Kathmandu from flood-affected areas of Nepal, he said.
The Indian nationals, who are from Tamil Nadu, were received at the airport by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The death toll from Wednesday's flash floods in Nepal rose to nearly 550, with more bodies recovered as search and rescue operations continued, according to the latest details shared by Nepalese authorities.
"As far as the number of people (Indians) whom we are not able to contact or who are missing, the figure at this point in time is 320," Jaiswal said.
"There are also around 100 persons of Indian origin who remained uncontactable. These are people of Indian origin who may have gone for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, but they hold other nationalities," he said.
Jaiswal said 400 Indians were stranded on the Chinese side but were safe.
"They have been in touch with their family. Our embassy has been in touch with several of them. Many of their family members also contacted us through the helpline numbers that our embassy is running in Beijing."
"Our embassy is in touch with local authorities in China, and they are working out as to how these people who are there can be evacuated," he noted.
In a related development, Jaishankar held a high-level meeting with senior officials to review the situation in Nepal, with a focus on tracking the status of missing Indians. India's envoys to Kathmandu and Beijing also joined the meeting virtually.
"Discussed the relief and rescue efforts underway in Nepal today. Our Embassies in Kathmandu and Beijing provided an updated picture in respect of the status and well-being of Indian nationals," Jaishankar said on social media.
"The concerned MEA Divisions apprised us of the further relief supplies to be sent to Nepal. We give highest priority to this issue," he said.
Jaishankar said New Delhi was making "urgent efforts" to ascertain the status and well-being of Indians stuck in flood-hit areas.
Since Wednesday night, India has sent a total of 47.5 tonnes of emergency supplies to Nepal in two military transport aircraft and is in the process of sending more relief materials.
(With inputs from PTI)
