NEW DELHI. India has dispatched its fifth emergency relief aircraft to flood-ravaged Nepal, carrying an 11-member specialized rescue team and 5.5 tonnes of essential medical supplies. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed the development on X, reinforcing New Delhi’s commitment under its “Neighbourhood First” policy and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) framework. The aid comes as Nepal grapples with catastrophic floods caused by the overflow of the Bhote Koshi River, which has claimed at least 1,127 lives across multiple districts, including Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Nuwakot, and Dhading. With only 95 victims identified so far, Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah assured that unidentified bodies are being managed systematically while preserving DNA evidence to assist future identification.
Alongside immediate relief, specialized Indian field operations are underway to support complex search, rescue, and identification efforts. A 24-member Indian tunnel rescue team has been deployed alongside Chinese specialists and the Nepal Army at critical hydropower sites in Chilime, using improvised floats to navigate subterranean passages under high-risk, marshy conditions. Concurrently, Indian forensic experts are working with their Nepalese counterparts to conduct DNA analysis to speed up victim identification. Meanwhile, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that 163 Indian nationals have been safely rescued from disaster-affected regions in Nepal, while 151 others have left neighboring China.
