Several Indians who had travelled for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra are stranded on the Chinese side following flash floods in the region, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) confirmed on Thursday. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said approximately 200 Indians had sought assistance while 288 Indian nationals remain uncontactable.
"We have received information that a number of Indian nationals who had gone on the Mansarovar Yatra are stranded on the Chinese side... There are approximately 200 Indian nationals there who have sought our assistance for evacuation," Jaiswal said.
Of them, 95 Indians are in Garchan and are proceeding towards Bilsa to cross over into Nepal. Four are in Geelong city, while another 13 are in Zutulpo and are on their way to the town of Saga.
"We are in a dynamic situation," Jaiswal said.
The MEA also said 21 Indian nationals from Tamil Nadu had been rescued.
The Indian Embassy in China on Wednesday issued an advisory for Indian nationals stranded in areas affected by flash floods along the Tibet-Nepal border.
"In view of the recent flash flood in the border areas in the Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, Indian nationals stranded in the vicinity can seek assistance from the following contact points," the embassy said.
It added that the Indian Embassy in Beijing was in close touch with local authorities to assist affected nationals and asked Indians in the region to follow official advisories issued by the authorities.
According to the MEA, five major groups comprising around 288 people had been identified. These included 73 Indians working on the Trishuli-1 power project, two groups of 37 and 49 Tamil Nadu residents who travelled for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a group of 32 Indians from West Bengal, another group of 61 people from different states and 33 Indians from Kerala.
The MEA had said that 288 Indian nationals remained uncontactable, including the 73 Indians working on the Trishuli-1 power project. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu was in touch with the project head to obtain further information about them.
India has also sent humanitarian assistance to Nepal following the disaster.
"The assistance that we have provided, two aircraft with humanitarian assistance have been sent to Kathmandu," Jaiswal said.
According to the MEA, eight tonnes of medicines and one tonne of food items were sent by air, while India has supplied a total of 47.5 tonnes of emergency assistance to support Nepal's rescue and relief operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to the Prime Minister of Nepal and conveyed India's condolences and solidarity with the people of the country while offering all possible assistance.
Flash floods wreaked havoc across three districts in Nepal on Wednesday. The death toll rose to 270 on Thursday as authorities raced to locate thousands of missing people.
