Kathmandu, August 29: Four Indian citizens were safely rescued from a hydro power project in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Saturday. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) provided an update on the situation regarding Indian nationals and relief efforts in Nepal on Saturday evening. The MEA stated that the rescued individuals are expected to arrive in Kathmandu soon.
According to a post on the social media platform X, the update was shared by the MEA by 5 PM. The rescued Indian nationals have been identified as Ripu Kumar, Chaneeshwar Narjari, Kripa Shankar, and Mohammad Minhazuddin.
This incident occurred during a large-scale rescue operation aimed at extracting individuals trapped in the tunnel of the Trishuli-3 ‘A’ hydro power project in Rasuwa. For the past two days, Nepalese security forces have been working to clear debris from the tunnel’s entrance to gain access. A total of 82 personnel from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police are actively involved in the operation.
India has also increased its technical assistance for this operation. According to the MEA, a special technical team arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday for the tunnel rescue and began work in the affected area on Friday. Based on the team’s recommendations, a specialized tunnel rescue team equipped with necessary tools is expected to arrive from India on Saturday.
Additionally, a team of six forensic experts from India is set to arrive in Kathmandu to assist in identifying bodies recovered after the floods and disasters in Nepal. This team will aid Nepalese authorities in identifying the bodies through DNA sample analysis.
The MEA reported that on Saturday, “120 Indian citizens entered Nepal from China.” As of 5 PM on August 29, a total of 88 Indian nationals have been rescued, while 287 are still reported missing. Furthermore, 128 individuals of Indian origin are also unaccounted for.
The ongoing rescue and relief operations are extremely challenging due to continuous adverse weather, floods, and landslides in Nepal. Agencies from both India and Nepal are coordinating efforts to reach those stranded in flood-affected areas and ensure the safe evacuation of Indian citizens.
– K.R.
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