8 Assam Residents Rescued in Nepal as Flood Death Toll Crosses 730

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has confirmed that eight residents of the state, who were caught in the devastating flash floods in Nepal, have been safely rescued. In a post on X, Sarma named the individuals as Pankaj Verma, Samar Bezbaruah, Gautam Das, Gopal Debnath, Soneswar Narzary, Sarbison Marak, Silva Marak, and Elphison Sangma, adding that they are safe and expected to return home soon.

The development comes after the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) reported that 10 people from the state were initially missing in Nepal. Among those still unaccounted for are retired Gauhati University professor Dipali Sarkar and her husband, Manash Kumar Ghosh. The couple was part of a 32-member group travelling to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet when the disaster struck. Family members said contact with them was lost after the floods hit Rasuwagadhi, though they had completed immigration formalities on the Nepal side.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the flash floods in Nepal has risen to 734, with rescue operations continuing. Authorities report that nearly 2,500 people remain missing, including 85 security personnel and 320 foreigners. The floods were triggered on Wednesday after an ice-rock avalanche and glacial collapse blocked the flow of the Lhende tributary of the Bhote Koshi River, causing a surge that struck Timure near Nepal's border with Tibet.