International
oi-Madhuri Adnal
The death toll from the devastating floods in Nepal has climbed to 788, as rescue teams continue to search for missing people and recover bodies from areas hit by the disaster.
As the recovery effort continues, India has sent a 19-member specialised forensics team to Kathmandu to help Nepal identify victims whose mortal remains have been recovered.
Nepal’s flood death toll has climbed to 788, with India deploying a 19-member forensics team to Kathmandu to assist with victim identification via DNA analysis and confirming the safe evacuation of 403 Indian nationals from China.
The team began work on Sunday and will assist Nepalese authorities with DNA analysis, an important step in identifying victims and helping families learn what happened to their loved ones.
The update was shared by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on X as India provided details of its ongoing rescue and relief operations in Nepal.
The Indian forensics team has already met officials at the Nepal Police’s Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Kathmandu and the Forensics Department of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. The Ambassador of India to Nepal also met the team and briefed its members on the situation.
Indian nationals continue to be evacuated
India is also tracking the movement and safety of its citizens affected by the situation.
According to the MEA, 403 Indian nationals have safely crossed into Nepal from China. The figure was based on information provided by local government sources on the Chinese side.
Another 500 Indian nationals remain on the Chinese side and are safe, the ministry said.
India has been supporting Nepal’s rescue and relief operations since the floods caused widespread destruction, with teams working alongside local authorities in some of the worst-affected areas.
Indian rescue team recovers mortal remains
An Indian tunnel rescue team has continued working with the Nepali Army at hydropower sites in Chilime and Langtang.
Despite difficult weather conditions, the team managed to enter a tunnel near the Langtang hydroelectric project and recover the mortal remains of one person.
The team is continuing its search and rescue work near the Langtang project.
Rescue teams race to find the missing
The scale of the disaster has left rescue workers facing a difficult task. Bodies have been recovered from all eight affected districts, while teams continue to look for people who remain missing or stranded.
(With PTI inputs)
