India on Wednesday dispatched its eighth Indian Air Force aircraft carrying 35 tonnes of relief and rescue material to flood-hit Nepal as search and rescue operations continued in the Himalayan nation.
The latest consignment includes National Disaster Response Force equipment, rescue gear, forensic supplies and replenishment material for Indian Army teams engaged in relief operations, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a post on X.
An Indian team is also assisting the Nepal Army in search and rescue operations at the Chilime tunnel in Rasuwa, one of the areas badly affected by the flash floods.
According to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 13,646 people have been rescued so far, while around 5,132 remain missing. Authorities have reported 1,367 deaths, with casualties recorded across several flood-affected districts.
Around 2,860 people remain missing in Rasuwa and 1,787 in Nuwakot. The missing include security personnel, government employees and foreign tourists.
Air rescue operations have also continued, with the Nepal Army and Armed Police Force conducting hundreds of helicopter missions. As many as 329 injured people are currently undergoing treatment at 10 hospitals, while 252 have been discharged.
India launched its relief operation soon after the devastating floods in late August. Its first relief aircraft reached Nepal on August 26 with 10 tonnes of essential supplies, including temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and medicines.
