New Delhi, Aug 29 — Opposition leaders praised the government’s efforts to bring back Indians stranded in Nepal after devastating flash floods, but urged the Centre to step up operations, deploy all available resources and run the relief and search effort “in mission mode” to trace missing citizens and ensure their safe return. JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey told IANS that unconfirmed reports suggest the death toll could be far higher than official figures indicate and warned the toll “could cross into the thousands.” He said many Indians, including tourists and pilgrims who travelled to Mansarovar, remain unaccounted for and called for immediate, intensified action.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an acceleration of rescue and evacuation for all Indians stranded in flood-hit areas of Nepal and asked that they be brought home safely. Kharge also wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) wherever required to support on-ground rescue, evacuation and relief operations, saying the humanitarian crisis demands urgency and sensitivity.
Officials reported that three bodies were recovered from the Gandak river in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district after they apparently drifted into Indian territory from Nepal. The bodies were spotted on Friday near barrage pier number 3 in the Madanpur-Sukrauli area of Khadda, district authorities said.
A Maharashtra state government report said that of 404 people from the state stranded in the Nepal–Tibet region after the August 26 flash floods, authorities have contacted 338 and confirmed them safe, while 37 are being transferred to India. The report added that 60 tourists who travelled through Mumbai-based Richa Tours remain untraceable. It also said the Ministry of External Affairs provided a list of 149 Indians — all from various Maharashtra districts and currently safe in the China/Tibet region — to the state government. (Agencies)
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/08/30/opp-hails-indias-nepal-relief-efforts-urges-govt-for-mission-mode-push/
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Publish Date: 2026-08-30 06:56:00
