Nepali Army Rescues Three Indian Nationals from Flood-Hit Rasuwa District

Three Indian nationals were among four people rescued by the Nepali Army from Chilime village in the flood-hit Rasuwa district of Nepal, according to Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava.

The development is part of broader rescue and relief operations following devastating flash floods that swept through northern and central parts of Nepal on August 26. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), the death toll from the disaster crossed 900, while over 4,000 people remained missing.

Ambassador Srivastava confirmed the rescue in a social media post, stating that he met the three Indian nationals and their Nepali colleague. He expressed gratitude to the Nepali army for their assistance. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu is currently facilitating the return of the rescued individuals to India.

India has deployed specialised teams to assist Nepal in ongoing rescue operations and the identification of victims, the Ministry of External Affairs stated. A 19-member Indian forensics team began functioning in Kathmandu to augment the analysis of DNA samples for identifying mortal remains. Additionally, an Indian tunnel rescue team continued its operations at hydropower sites in Chilime and Langtang.

Expert teams from India and China are assisting local rescue teams in trying to trace 933 workers and employees across various hydropower project sites who have been out of contact since August 26. Many of these individuals are believed to be trapped in tunnels.

The flash floods, which are believed to have been triggered by a collapse or avalanche of ice and rock near the Nepal-Tibet border, severely impacted the Bhotekoshi River corridor. The disaster resulted in the destruction of homes, roads, and bridges, alongside significant damage to regional hydropower projects.

"Cross-border operational dependencies and infrastructure risks highlight the critical need for robust business continuity and emergency response protocols in regional projects. When natural disasters impact vital industrial and energy sites, swift coordination between governments and specialised rescue teams becomes essential to safeguard personnel and stabilise operations." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes