320 Indians remain missing after Nepal floods, 21 arrive in New Delhi

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the number of Indians who remain uncontactable or missing currently stands at 320.

“As far as the number of people whom we are not able to contact or who are missing, the figure at this point in time is 320,” Jaiswal wrote on X.

He added that around 100 people of Indian origin also remain uncontactable. They are believed to have travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra but hold nationalities other than Indian.

Nepal has declined offers from India, China and several other countries to deploy helicopters and specialised search-and-rescue teams following the devastating floods in the Bhote Koshi River, opting to keep rescue operations under the control of its own security agencies.

The decision has drawn attention as hundreds of people remain unaccounted for, including foreign nationals travelling in Nepal.

Kathmandu, however, has sought to distinguish between accepting humanitarian assistance and allowing foreign personnel to participate directly in search-and-rescue operations.

The government led by Prime Minister Balen Shah has maintained that Nepal’s security agencies have sufficient capacity to conduct the rescue operation.

Nepal has also established a central mechanism to coordinate information about missing foreign nationals.

India, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were among the countries that offered assistance, either formally or informally, according to Kathmandu-based media reports, including The Kathmandu Post and Hamro Patro.

International organisations have also approached Nepal, with several governments offering helicopters and personnel trained in disaster-response operations.