Pune, 28th August 2026: Nepal continues to face a severe flood crisis, with more than 350 people reportedly killed and hundreds of Indian nationals affected. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, 288 Indian citizens are currently missing in Nepal. Rescue teams are conducting large-scale searches to locate them.
Among the missing are 73 Indians working on the Trishuli-1 hydropower project. The Indian Embassy has contacted the project authorities and is coordinating with local agencies to trace the workers.
Four tourists from Pune are also believed to be stranded in flood-affected areas. One of them, Pooja Bhosale, who had travelled for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, has described the difficult conditions and appealed to the Centre and Maharashtra government for immediate assistance.
Bhosale said oxygen supplies have become severely limited in Nepal and that they have been advised to return to India. She urged the authorities to make arrangements to bring them home at the earliest.
She also alleged that the tour and travel company through which they had undertaken the pilgrimage abandoned them during the crisis. Meanwhile, 21 Indian nationals from Tamil Nadu have reportedly been rescued. Around 200 Indians stranded in Tibet have also sought assistance.
The danger in Nepal has not ended. A blockage in the Bhote Koshi River near the Nepal-China border has resulted in the formation of a large water body. Authorities fear that if the accumulated water breaks through, it could trigger another major flood.
A similar situation has developed near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purupu Tsangpo rivers, where blocked water flow has created another large lake.
Chinese authorities have alerted their Nepalese counterparts about the potential danger. With the flood threat continuing, the coming days are expected to remain critical, and authorities are urging people in vulnerable areas to stay alert.
The immediate priority remains locating missing Indians, evacuating stranded tourists and workers, and preventing further loss of life as Nepal continues to battle the devastating floods.
