New Delhi, Aug 2026 : The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said 320 Indian nationals remain uncontactable following the devastating floods in Nepal, while around 400 Indians stranded on the Chinese side have been reported safe and are in contact with their families.
Addressing the regular bi-weekly press briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating rescue and evacuation efforts through Indian missions in Nepal and China.
Jaiswal said 84 Indian nationals have been rescued so far, including 63 Indians who were working at the Trishuli-1 hydropower project in Nepal. He added that another 96 Indian nationals who had been stranded on the Chinese side have safely crossed into Nepal by land, with efforts underway to evacuate them.
Providing an update on those rescued, Jaiswal said 21 Indian nationals who had reached Kathmandu from the flood-affected region on Thursday had arrived in New Delhi on Friday. The group, comprising people from Tamil Nadu, landed in the national capital on an IndiGo flight.
The Indian Ambassador in Nepal had met the group in Kathmandu on Thursday and checked on their well-being before their return to India.
Jaiswal also recalled that 63 Indian nationals employed at the Trishuli-1 hydropower project had been rescued a day earlier. With the additional 21 people, the number of Indians rescued and brought to safety has continued to rise as authorities intensify operations in the affected areas.
The MEA official, however, cautioned that the number of people who remain uncontactable could change as authorities continue to reconcile information received from different sources.
“As far as the number of people who we are not able to contact or who are missing, the figure at this point in time is 320,” Jaiswal said, adding that the situation remained dynamic and the figures could fluctuate.
He further said around 100 people of Indian origin holding foreign nationalities were also uncontactable. Some of them may have travelled to the region in connection with the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
Jaiswal stressed that the MEA and Indian missions were working round the clock to establish contact with those affected and verify information received from various lists and sources. Control rooms at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and the Indian Embassy in Beijing are coordinating the efforts.
On the Chinese side, Jaiswal said approximately 400 Indian nationals were safe and had been able to communicate with their families because telephone connectivity remained operational in the affected areas.
The Indian Embassy in China has been coordinating with local authorities and communicating with team leaders, travel agents and affected individuals to facilitate their evacuation.
“Just to tell you that all these 400 people or plus people are safe,” Jaiswal said, while noting that the numbers could be revised as authorities receive and verify further information.
The floods have caused extensive destruction along areas downstream of the Bhote Koshi River, following what is believed to have been an avalanche on a transboundary river between Nepal and China. The sudden surge of water and debris affected settlements, roads, hydropower facilities and transmission infrastructure.
The disaster has triggered large-scale rescue and relief operations in Nepal, with several areas facing severe damage to critical infrastructure and connectivity.
According to the latest update issued by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Friday, the death toll from the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi region had risen to 538, while hundreds of people remained missing.
Indian authorities are continuing to coordinate with their counterparts in Nepal and China as search, rescue and evacuation efforts continue. The MEA has also urged people seeking information about family members in the affected areas to use the helplines operated by Indian missions.
With the situation remaining fluid, the ministry said updated figures would be provided as more information becomes available and the identities and status of those reported missing or uncontactable are verified.
