Nepal flash floods LIVE: Several feared dead, India to send relief materials - The Hindu

**Flash floods devastate Nepal’s trekking routes, sparking a multinational rescue effort**

Heavy monsoon rains triggered flash floods and landslides across Nepal’s central and eastern hills on Monday, turning popular trekking corridors into deadly torrents. According to local authorities, at least 17 people have been confirmed dead and more than 300 tourists are still unaccounted for, including 105 Indian nationals among the 384 missing reported by the Red Flip. The disaster has also claimed the lives of several residents in the villages of Khotang and Bhojpur, where entire homes were swept away, prompting a state of emergency in the affected districts.

In response, the Indian government has mobilised a large‑scale assistance package. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a phone conversation with Nepal’s Prime Minister Balen Shah, expressing “solidarity and full support” and confirming the dispatch of relief kits, medical supplies, and temporary shelters. The Indian Air Force has placed a fleet of transport aircraft on standby, and officials say the service is “fully prepared” to conduct aerial drops and evacuations as soon as the terrain becomes accessible. Additional aid, including food rations and clean‑water tanks, is en route from New Delhi and will be coordinated with Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

International and regional agencies have also joined the rescue operation. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) is monitoring the situation, while neighbouring countries have offered technical assistance and rescue teams. Nepal’s government has urged tourists to remain in safe locations and cooperate with rescue crews, emphasizing that the rapidly receding waters still pose significant risks of secondary landslides. As relief convoys advance into the hardest‑hit areas, families of the missing continue to wait for news, and authorities are working around the clock to locate survivors and recover the deceased.