Several groups of Indian nationals, including pilgrims travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and workers at the Trishuli 1 power project, remain uncontactable after the disaster in Nepal’s Rasuwa district.
As rescue and relief operations continue in Nepal following the tragedy in Rasuwa district, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said 288 Indian nationals remain uncontactable, while 21 Indians have so far been rescued.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu is in touch with the project head to obtain more information about the workers. The two groups had travelled for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through separate travel agents — Samrat Travels and Fly Everest Travels. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has been in touch with the rescued group, and India’s Ambassador to Nepal has spoken to them and assured them of all possible assistance. He added that the government would continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. The latest update comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli following the tragedy. He also offered all possible humanitarian assistance from India to help Nepal deal with the aftermath of the disaster. India’s diplomatic mission in Kathmandu has since been coordinating with the Nepalese authorities to trace Indian nationals, provide assistance to those affected and facilitate their return where required. The focus is particularly on establishing contact with people in areas where communications have been disrupted. For families in India trying to establish contact with relatives who travelled to Nepal, the government is expected to provide further updates as rescue teams and authorities are able to access affected areas.
Because communication lines have been disrupted following the disaster, communication with the area has been particularly difficult, the MEA said,. Because authorities have not been able to establish communication with them, the term is being used. The 288 Indian nationals include several groups travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, workers at the Trishuli 1 power project, and tourists from different Indian states. Jaiswal said 73 Indian nationals working at the Trishuli 1 power project are among those currently uncontactable. Two sizeable groups from Tamil Nadu, comprising 37 and 49 Indian nationals, are also among those who remain uncontactable. Another group of 32 Indians from West Bengal, who travelled with the help of Samrat Travels, is reported to have been in Timure in Rasuwa district, the area where the disaster occurred. The MEA said 61 Indian nationals from different states who travelled through Richa Tours are also currently uncontactable. In addition, 33 Indian nationals from Kerala are among those whose whereabouts have not yet been confirmed. These groups together account for the bulk of the 288 Indian nationals currently listed as uncontactable by the Indian government. Amid the ongoing search and relief efforts, the government has managed to establish contact with and rescue 21 Indian nationals from Tamil Nadu. Jaiswal said the latest figure was as of 1 pm on Thursday. For now, 288 Indians remain uncontactable, 21 have been rescued, and efforts are continuing to locate and assist the remaining Indian nationals affected by the disaster.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government is working with Nepalese authorities to establish contact with the missing Indians and locate those stranded in affected areas. “Communication lines in that area are totally disrupted, and therefore it has been difficult to get in touch with people on the ground,” Jaiswal said. The MEA has stressed that being listed as “uncontactable” does not necessarily mean that the individuals are missing or injured. During the conversation, PM Modi conveyed India’s deepest condolences and said India stood in solidarity with the people of Nepal. Jaiswal said India is making every possible effort to reach its citizens through the Nepalese authorities. “We are making all efforts to reach out to our people through the Nepalese authorities,” he said. The MEA has said it will keep updating the status of Indian nationals as verified information comes in.
The embassy is expected to continue working with local authorities and project officials to determine the status of the Indians who remain uncontactable. The situation is complicated by the disruption of communications in the affected region, particularly around Rasuwa, where several Indian nationals were present. The 21 Indians are expected to travel to Kathmandu, after which arrangements will be made for their return to India.
“We are making available their names on our X handle, so you can get the details,” Jaiswal said.
