Kathmandu/New Delhi: The situation remains very serious after the massive floods and landslides in the Nepal and Tibet border areas. The number of people missing due to the natural disaster has reached around 2,500, while 586 bodies have been recovered so far. The spate of Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers has caused massive devastation in Nuwakot, Timure and many surrounding areas. Houses, roads and bridges have been reduced to debris.
After the disaster, relief and rescue operations are being conducted on a large scale in Nepal.
No contact with 320 Indian citizens yet
According to the information given by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), contact has still not been established with 320 Indian citizens in the flood affected areas of Nepal.
At the same time, there is information that about 400 Indian citizens are stranded in Tibet region. Of the Indians stranded near the China border, 153 have safely entered the Nepal border.
India is sending expert team for the people trapped in the tunnel
Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar reviewed the situation in flood affected areas of Nepal by holding a high-level meeting with senior officials. During this, the possibility of many workers and other people being trapped in the tunnel at the Rasuwagadhi Hydroelectric Project site was also discussed.
The Government of India has decided to send an expert rescue team to Nepal to provide technical support to the rescue operation. In this sequence, the 11-member Indian team reached Kathmandu on Saturday. The team is being sent to the flood affected areas, where massive relief and rescue operations are going on. The team includes medical personnel and rescue experts.
13,295 security personnel deployed in rescue operation in Nepal
The Nepal government has deployed security forces on a large scale in the affected areas. A total of 13,295 security personnel have been deployed in relief and rescue operations.
These include 7,250 personnel of Nepal Police, 4,200 of Nepali Army and 1,845 personnel of Armed Police Force (APF).
The operation to evacuate people from sensitive and affected villages through helicopters is also going on. So far, more than 3,253 people have been airlifted to safe places.
7 deaths, 554 people missing in Tibet
According to Chinese government media, so far 7 deaths have been officially confirmed in the Tibet region. And 554 people are reported missing.
Continuous debris removal, search and rescue operations are going on in Nepal and Tibet. Due to this, the official figures related to dead and missing people are constantly changing.
Wednesday's flood caused widespread devastation
Severe floods hit Rasuwa and other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday, causing massive damage. More than 500 people have died in this disaster. Roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure along with human settlements have also been badly affected.
The Nepal government has also intensified efforts to restore transportation system and provide relief in the affected areas.
Nepal seeks help from India-China for 42 bailey bridges
Access to the affected areas has become difficult due to damaged roads and bridges due to floods. Nepal had requested India and China for help in building 42 'bailey bridges' to resume transport services in flood-affected areas. Bailey bridges are bridges that can be assembled quickly without heavy machinery or special equipment. The construction of these bridges is expected to help in restoring road connectivity and delivering relief materials to flood affected areas.
Nepal ready for international help in difficult rescue operations
Nepal had said on Friday that it wants to give priority to maximum deployment of its security forces. Local security personnel are familiar with the difficult geographical conditions and affected areas.
However, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said that the government is ready to take international assistance in complex cases where special technical skills are required for rescue in extremely difficult structures.
The arrival of India's 11-member team is being considered an important step under this international cooperation. At present, search, rescue, medical aid and debris removal operations are going on continuously in the flood affected areas of Nepal.
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