Nepal floods: 149 Indians rescued in evacuation, MEA releases names

As many as 149 Indian citizens have been rescued from flood-hit Nepal, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday, August 30.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the latest update on social media platform X and said that 149 Indians have been rescued as of 5:30 PM on 30 August 2026.

“Update on Indian nationals rescued in Nepal as on 30 August 2026 at 1730 hrs. Indians rescued: 149,” Jaiswal wrote.

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As of 30 August 2026, 149 Indian nationals have been rescued from flood-affected areas in Nepal.

Rescue teams are grappling with rising water levels and massive amounts of debris blocking access to affected areas, along with difficulty reaching people trapped in tunnels.

Authorities warned of renewed flooding due to rising water levels in the Trishuli River, prompting local residents to remain alert and in safe places.

The Indian government is coordinating efforts to help stranded citizens and has deployed specialized teams along with heavy relief supplies, including medicine and food.

Countries such as India and China have joined Nepal’s rescue efforts, with specialized teams being sent to assist in rescue operations in hydroelectric projects and flood-affected areas.

The MEA also released the names of 149 Indian nationals rescued from flood-hit areas.

The rescue operation comes as heavy rains and flooding have disrupted normal life in parts of Nepal, with authorities working to evacuate people from affected areas.

The Government of India is monitoring the situation and coordinating efforts to help Indian citizens stranded or affected by the floods.

India sends forensic team to Nepal

India has also stepped up its assistance by sending a forensic team to Nepal to help identify victims whose remains have not yet been identified.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava met members of the forensic team deployed in the country.

“Ambassador Naveen Srivastava met members of the Indian forensic team deployed in Nepal. The team will work with their Nepali counterparts to analyze DNA samples to help identify the remains of victims of the recent flash floods,” said Jaiswal in a post on X.

Jaisal also said that India has stepped up its relief and rescue efforts in flood-hit Nepal, with a fourth flight carrying 11 tons of aid landing in a neighboring country.

The relief material was handed over to the Nepalese authorities, said Jaiswal in the update.

The assistance includes a dedicated technical tunnel contingent equipped for search and rescue operations, along with a team of forensic experts to assist with DNA analysis to identify victims of the devastating floods.

The fourth rescue flight also carried essential supplies, including blankets, sleeping bags, tarps, plastic sheets and hygiene kits, Jaiswal said.

India has already sent relief supplies to Nepal as the neighboring country struggles to cope with the scale of the disaster.

Nepal has also asked for more help from forensic laboratories and rapid DNA analysis to identify hundreds of bodies found after flash floods.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balen Shah said on Saturday that authorities were following the 2026 Guidelines for the Management of Unidentified and Unclaimed Bodies. The process includes taking DNA samples and proper documentation before performing final rites for victims who could not be immediately identified.

As rescue teams continue to search flood-hit areas, authorities in Nepal are simultaneously working to evacuate survivors, locate missing people and identify victims of one of the country’s most devastating recent disasters.

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The death toll from the floods in Nepal has reached 794

The number of bodies recovered from the disaster reached 794 by 5:45 p.m. Sunday, according to Nepalese police.

The highest number of deaths was reported in Chitwan with 264 deaths, followed by Nawalparasi East with 197, Nawalparasi West with 120, Gorkha with 61, Nuwakot with 52, Dhading with 50, Tanahun with 37 and Rasuwa with 13.

Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) earlier said 2,502 people remained missing as of 1:00 pm on Sunday.

Authorities are storing unidentified bodies in 21 hospitals across the country while efforts are underway to identify them.

Of the reported missing, 933 are hydropower workers and 592 are foreign nationals. Another 127 are Nepali citizens who traveled with foreign groups.

Several missing persons are also reported to be employees of the Nepal Police, Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, Customs and Immigration.

At least 239 people were injured, some were treated while others were released. Six surgical medical teams were also deployed to help those affected by the disaster.

Thousands of people have been rescued during the ongoing operation

Almost 20,000 security personnel were deployed in the affected areas as part of the rescue operation.

Ground forces carried out 8,730 rescues, air crews carried out 363 helicopter flights during which 3,081 people were evacuated, including 236 foreign nationals.

The authorities also rescued 279 people directly from the flooded tunnel of the hydroelectric plant in the past few days.

Rescue teams are battling the debris inside the tunnels

Nepal’s military on Sunday airlifted heavy equipment to an under-construction dam in the Himalayas as rescue teams worked to reach people believed to be trapped in a tunnel.

Rescue operations are underway at five hydroelectric plants, including the Upper Trishuli complex. Authorities said they received information that around 350 people may be trapped in a tunnel at the site.

According to Dharam Raj Uprety, head of Nepal’s National Disaster Management Authority, around 10,000 Nepalese soldiers have been deployed for rescue operations in the tunnel, along with specialists from India and China.

“It’s very difficult because there’s a lot of debris and we can’t blast things to get through,” Uprety said.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balen Shah’s office said rescue teams and soldiers were working overnight in Upper Trishul despite heavy flooding. It also released footage showing a helicopter transporting heavy equipment to the affected area.

As floodwaters continue to rise along key river corridors, rescue teams are racing against time to clear tunnels and reach workers who may still be trapped underground.

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