Nepal floods: 166 Indian nationals rescued so far as 410 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims leave China

A total of 166 Indian nationals have been rescued from floodhit areas of Nepal so far including three people rescued on Wednesday as India continued to provide humanitarian and technical assistance following the disaster that has claimed more than 1100 livesThe Ministry of External Affairs MEA said India was continuing rescue operations and sending relief material to Nepal where search teams are working to locate people missing after catastrophic floods swept through several districtsMeanwhile 410 Indian nationals who had travelled to the Tibet Autonomous Region for pilgrimage or other activities left China on Wednesday according to the MEAFifth Indian Air Force flight brings medical aid and rescue equipmentA fifth Indian Air Force flight carrying humanitarian assistance arrived in Kathmandu on WednesdayThe aircraft transported around 55 tonnes of medical supplies including antibiotics analgesics surgical equipment and other essential medicinesIt also carried an 11member specialised rescue team along with more than six tonnes of rescue equipmentWith the latest consignment India has delivered around 74 tonnes of relief assistance to Nepal so far the MEA saidThe fresh tranche of humanitarian material was handed over to local authorities by Indian Ambassador Naveen SrivastavaThe assistance is being provided as Nepal continues its response to devastating flash floods that struck after a glacial collapse in Tibet on August 26Indian tunnel rescue team shifts base closer to ChilimeIndias specialised tunnel rescue team moved its operational base from Trishuli to Syabrubesi on Wednesday a step expected to reduce travel time to Chilime where search operations are underwayToday the Indian tunnel rescue team moved its base to Syabrubesi from Trishuli which will help reduce the time taken to travel to Chilime where the rescue operations are taking place The team continued its search operations in Chilime in collaboration with the Nepali Army Amidst deep slush and blockages inside the tunnel the team was able to move forward by about 100 metres today the MEA said in a statementThe rescue operation inside the affected tunnel has been slowed by deep slush and blockages creating significant challenges for teams attempting to reach areas where people may still be trappedHeavy equipment route explored to speed up rescue workThe MEA said rescuers were exploring the possibility of creating an improvised road approach to the tunnel to allow heavier equipment to be deployed closer to the search siteTo ensure expedited progress the possibility of an improvised road approach to the tunnel was explored so that more heavy equipment could be used for search and rescue The 11 rescue experts that arrived today from India have moved close to Trishuli Bazaar along with specialized equipment and are expected to commence their work from tomorrow in coordination with the Nepali Army it addedThe newly arrived specialists are expected to join operations in coordination with the Nepali ArmyIndian forensic experts expand DNA analysis workIndias forensic team is now working in two laboratories in Kathmandu alongside Nepalese experts to examine and analyse DNA samplesThe work is aimed at assisting authorities with the identification of victims recovered after the floodsAt least 1114 bodies had been recovered by 9 am on Wednesday according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management AuthorityHowever around 3916 people remained out of contact highlighting the continuing scale of the search and identification operationNepal PM calls for greater global attention to climate risksNepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Wednesday called for greater international attention to the growing risks posed by climaterelated disasters in the Himalayan regionAddressing the House of Representatives after the death toll from flooding in the Bhotekoshi River region crossed 1100 Shah said Nepal needed to draw greater attention to the impact of climate change on the countryExperts said an avalanche blocked the Lengde Khola a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River near the NepalChina border Water accumulated behind the natural blockage before breaching it and triggering a massive flood downstream towards the Trishuli RiverThe flooding caused extensive damage to settlements and infrastructure along its pathPM raises questions over Nepals preparedness for future disastersShah said the scale of the disaster had raised serious questions about how the event unfolded and what similar climaterelated risks could mean for Nepal in the futureldquoThe huge disaster whose impacts of climate change we have suddenly experienced has kept us working around the clock to manage the damage At the same time another profound question has arisen in our minds How did this disaster come upon usrdquo he questionedWith inputs from IANS