New Delhi, 27 August

Two hundred and eighty-eight Indians remain missing following the devastating flash floods in Nepal, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the missing Indians included those working on hydropower projects and tourist groups.

Twenty-one Indians from Tamil Nadu were rescued, he said.

Jaiswal said around 200 Indians in Tibet have also sought assistance from India.

India will continue to extend all possible support to Nepal to deal with the situation arising out of the flash floods, he added.

“There are 288 Indian nationals who remain unaccountable. These include 73 Indian nationals who are working on the Trishuli One Power Project. Our embassy in Kathmandu is in touch with the project head to get more details about these people,” Jaiswal said.

“India is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Nepal in this difficult time and we are ready to provide all assistance as per requirements of that country, he said.

Flash floods on Wednesday wreaked havoc across three districts in Nepal.

The death toll on Thursday rose to 270, as authorities in Nepal raced against time to find thousands of missing people.