KATHMANDU, Aug 28: Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava on Friday met Indian nationals who were evacuated from areas severely affected by flash floods and later visited Tribhuvan International Airport to see them off.
Srivastava met the tourists before they departed Kathmandu on an IndiGo flight, 6E1254, on Friday afternoon, according to an Indian Embassy spokesperson.
The tourists had been rescued after a devastating flash flood struck Rasuwa and other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday, leaving a trail of destruction across several areas. The disaster damaged homes, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure and triggered extensive rescue operations.
The Nepal Tourism Board said 121 foreign tourists had been rescued from different flood-affected locations across the country. The group included 85 Indian nationals, along with nine South Koreans and 16 Chinese citizens.
Security personnel rescued the stranded tourists from districts including Rasuwa, Dhading and Nuwakot, among the areas badly affected by the sudden flooding.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the disaster climbed to 538 on Friday as authorities recovered more bodies during ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Operations entered their third day, with 7,451 security personnel deployed across affected areas. The force included 2,391 personnel from the Nepal Army, according to an official statement.
Authorities have also warned of the possibility of further flooding. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said rising water levels near the site of the earlier flash flood had increased the risk of another incident.
The agency advised rescue teams and people staying in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli areas to remain on high alert. It urged anyone facing a potential threat to move immediately to safer locations.
Rescue and recovery efforts are continuing amid challenging conditions, with authorities closely monitoring water levels and vulnerable areas to prevent further loss of life.
