Kathmandu [Nepal], September 9 (ANI): The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 1,369, according to the latest update from Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), as India continued its humanitarian assistance with the arrival of its eighth Indian Air Force flight carrying relief and rescue supplies in Kathmandu on Wednesday.
The NDRRMA's latest Rasuwa Flood: Search, Rescue and Relief Update, issued at 6 pm on Wednesday (local time), said the casualties included 363 deaths in Chitwan, 227 in Nawalparasi East, 222 in Nawalparasi West, 198 in Nuwakot, 174 in Rasuwa, 75 in Gorkha, 70 in Dhading and 38 in Tanahun. Two people were also reported to have died while undergoing treatment in Kathmandu.
The authority said 5,132 people remain missing, including 587 foreign nationals. In Rasuwa alone, those reported missing include 1,393 residents, 1,286 people from other districts, 45 Nepali Army personnel, 25 Nepal Police personnel, 12 Armed Police Force personnel, 73 government officials and 26 employees of banks and financial institutions.
In Nuwakot, 651 residents and 1,136 people from other districts remain missing, according to the NDRRMA.
The authority said the total missing figure had been revised following the deduction of 102 identified bodies. A total of 13,646 people have been rescued so far.
As rescue and recovery operations continue, 333 injured people are currently being treated at 19 hospitals, while 256 have been discharged. The Nepali Army has provided medical treatment to 3,535 people, while the Armed Police Force has treated 3,606 people, the NDRRMA said.
Against the backdrop of the mounting toll, India has continued to support Nepal's rescue, relief and forensic operations, with an eighth Indian Air Force flight carrying humanitarian assistance reaching Kathmandu on Wednesday.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India has expedited the delivery of relief supplies, specialised equipment and expert personnel through eight special flights since August 26, sending more than 130 tonnes of relief material to Nepal.
India has also deployed 54 expert personnel to support Nepal's ongoing rescue, relief and forensic operations, the MEA said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The assistance includes standard relief supplies such as temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and medicines, besides specialised equipment for tunnel and mud rescue operations, DNA profiling and other emergency requirements.
The specialised equipment includes mud rescue suits, gas detectors, breathing apparatus and inflatable walkways, along with DNA kits, reagents and equipment for DNA profiling. India has also provided portable generators, lighting towers and dewatering pumps, according to the MEA.
The specialised Indian tunnel rescue team initially began operations in coordination with the Nepali Army at two sites – Chilime and Langtang. The MEA said search efforts are now concentrated at Chilime, where difficult terrain, access conditions and the slope of the tunnel have posed challenges.
"The Indian tunnel rescue team has been persistent in its work and ensured good progress with manual efforts and the use of innovative techniques," the MEA said.
To accelerate the operation, a makeshift path is being prepared to enable heavy machinery, including an excavator, to reach the tunnel.
According to the MEA, construction of the track is making encouraging progress and is expected to be completed within another two to three days.
India's forensic team is also working in two laboratories in Kathmandu alongside experts from Nepalese authorities to examine and analyse DNA samples.
The MEA said the forensic laboratory equipment, DNA kits and reagents being supplied by India would support the ongoing identification efforts.
India's latest assistance follows a series of relief consignments sent to Nepal since the floods struck in the last week of August. The Indian support has included rescue teams, specialised equipment, medicines, forensic supplies and essential relief material.
The MEA said India remains committed to providing all possible assistance to the people and Government of Nepal and will continue to support rescue, relief and recovery efforts in the country.
The latest NDRRMA figures underline the continuing scale of the disaster, while the deployment of additional Indian personnel and specialised equipment comes as Nepal's authorities continue simultaneous search, rescue, medical treatment, forensic identification and recovery operations. (ANI)
Nepal flood death toll rises to 1,369 as India sends eighth aid flight with over 130 tonnes of relief in total
