India airlifts relief to Nepal as hundreds remain missing after floods
India dispatches two aircraft with relief supplies to Nepal after devastating floods leave hundreds dead and missing, including 288 Indians.
India has dispatched two aircraft carrying emergency relief to Nepal after a glacier collapse triggered catastrophic floods that swept through Himalayan communities, killing at least 353 people and leaving more than 1,300 missing.
The Indian External Affairs Ministry said a C-130J aircraft took off late Wednesday with 10 tonnes of supplies, including temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and medicines. A second aircraft, a C-17, departed Thursday morning with 37.5 tonnes of cargo, comprising tents, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps, dewatering pumps, kitchen sets, generators, 8 tonnes of medicine and 1 tonne of food.
Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 288 Indian nationals remain uncontactable, including 73 working on the Trishuli 1 hydropower project in Nepal. He added that the government is in touch with Nepalese authorities to ascertain their safety.
Families in India are anxiously waiting for news. In Ranchi, relatives of a missing man named Ramprasad appealed for help. His sister-in-law, Ditya Ghosh, said they had not heard from him for 24 hours and were extremely worried. His father, Ranjit Kumar Ghosh, pleaded for efforts to locate his son and arrange food for him.
In Kolkata, Sunit Bhattacharjee, whose mother is missing, said he was hoping against hope that she was safe after another person from her group was rescued.
The floods, triggered by a glacier collapse, sent a wall of water and mud several stories high through valleys, displacing hundreds. The region's steep slopes and lush valleys, home to many of the world's highest peaks and remaining glaciers, are especially vulnerable to such disasters. Scientists say melting glaciers, driven by human-caused climate change, are increasing the frequency of such events.