IAF C-130J aircraft prepares to deliver relief supplies to flood-hit Nepal.
India has dispatched 10 tonnes of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) supplies and essential medicines to Nepal after devastating flash floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday, August 26.
The first tranche of assistance was flown to Kathmandu on an Indian Air Force C-130J transport aircraft from Hindon Air Base near Delhi, which departed at around 8:35 pm, according to India Today. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed that India had dispatched the 10-tonne consignment to support Nepal’s response to the floods.
The relief operation came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah. Modi expressed condolences over the loss of lives and said India was ready to provide all possible humanitarian assistance, adding that Indian teams were coordinating with Nepal on rescue and relief efforts.
According to sources cited by IANS, the C-130J consignment includes temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and medicines.
Severe flooding across central Nepal
The disaster began near the Nepal-Tibet border and sent a sudden surge of water and debris into the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa district. The flood then moved downstream through the Trishuli River system, affecting several districts.
Rasuwa emerged as the worst-hit district, particularly the areas around Timure and Syapru Besi. Floodwaters swept away homes, vehicles, bridges and other infrastructure, while several hydropower projects were also damaged. Nepalese authorities have also reported impacts in Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan, with bodies recovered downstream in additional districts including Tanahun and East Nawalparasi.
The exact trigger of the disaster is still being investigated. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal told Parliament that a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck at 8:37 am, followed minutes later by reports of the flash flood. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said preliminary satellite analysis indicated that a glacial-rock slide near the Nepal-China border sent a debris-laden flood into the Lhende River, which then flowed towards Timure and the Trishuli system. Nepalese and Chinese authorities have said the precise cause has not yet been conclusively established.
The flooding has caused widespread damage to roads, bridges, homes, power infrastructure and hydropower projects. Authorities have warned that the risk has not completely passed because water remains backed up at a blockage upstream. Nepal’s Flood Forecasting Division and disaster authorities urged people to stay away from the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers and remain in safe locations.
Dozens dead, hundreds missing
As of Wednesday evening, at least 95 people had died in Nepal, according to Nepalese authorities, while hundreds remained missing. The death toll is based on bodies recovered from several districts and could rise as search and rescue operations continue.
The Nepal Tourism Board reported that 403 people were unaccounted for, including 341 foreign nationals and 62 Nepali nationals. Among the foreign nationals reported missing were 133 Indians, 47 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 Britons and 24 Canadians, according to figures reported by the Associated Press. Many of the missing Indians were pilgrims travelling towards Mount Kailash in Tibet.
Authorities have cautioned that these are preliminary figures and are still being verified as rescue teams reach areas cut off by the floods.
China also hit by disaster
The disaster has also affected China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. A mudslide struck the Gyirong area and the Gyirong Port, an important Nepal-China border crossing.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that at least three people had died and 265 remained missing in Gyirong County. The figures were described as preliminary and were still being verified. The mudslide also damaged roads and disrupted communications and power links in the region.
China has launched its own search and rescue operation, while President Xi Jinping ordered all-out efforts to locate missing people and called for stronger monitoring and early-warning systems to prevent secondary disasters.
Rescue operations continue
The Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police have been deployed for search and rescue operations. However, high water levels, heavy sediment and damaged infrastructure have made access difficult. In some of the worst-hit areas, rescue helicopters have been unable to land because of the conditions.
Nepal’s government has ordered authorities to rescue stranded and injured people, provide food and shelter, reopen damaged roads and restore electricity and telecommunications. It has also ordered free medical treatment for people injured in the floods.
The World Health Organization has separately mobilised and dispatched emergency medical supplies, including medicines and multipurpose tents, to support health services in affected communities, according to WHO Nepal.
India has also activated its response beyond the relief shipment. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been placed on high alert over the possibility of floodwater travelling downstream through the Gandak River. According to the NDRF, teams have been deployed in vulnerable areas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, including West Champaran, Muzaffarpur and Kushinagar.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has also issued emergency contact numbers to assist with information concerning Indian nationals affected by the disaster.
International support
Nepal has sought international assistance as rescue and relief operations continue. India has already dispatched humanitarian supplies, while China has offered immediate cash assistance and the World Bank has indicated that up to Rs 25 billion could potentially be mobilised from various sources for emergency assistance, according to Nepal’s Finance Ministry.
The United States, United Kingdom and other countries have also expressed support as authorities work to locate their nationals reported missing in the disaster.
India’s dispatch of the first 10-tonne tranche of HADR assistance and essential medicines marks its immediate humanitarian response to one of Nepal’s most serious flood disasters in recent years, while search, rescue and relief operations remain underway across the affected region.
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