External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday received 21 Tamil Nadu pilgrims at Delhi airport who were rescued from the floods in Nepal. Taking to social media, Jaishankar said that he was moved after hearing their experiences and thanked the Nepal government and the army for their rescue efforts.
His post read, “Received a group of 21 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu who were rescued from the floods in Nepal,” Jaishankar said. “Was moved to hear their experience first-hand. Thank the Nepali Army and Government for this rescue effort. Appreciate Embassy of India, Kathmandu’s facilitation of their smooth return to India,” he added.
Addressing the media at the airport, S. Jaishankar also said that the government is focused on contacting all individuals who are stranded in Nepal. He asserted that the government is focused on contacting Indians who were there, and the exact number of Indians is yet to be ascertained. However, a primary report reveals that about 315 Indians are still uncontacted.
The death toll from Nepal’s devastating flash floods rose to 538, while 977 people are still missing, according to an update by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. Over 538 bodies have been recovered, with the largest number in Chitwan at 221, followed by 134 in Nawalparasi East.