NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with his Nepali counterpart Balen Shah following a catastrophic flash flood triggered by an ice and rock avalanche in Nepal, assuring him of India’s full commitment to providing immediate humanitarian relief and emergency support.
The natural disaster has claimed at least 19 lives, caused severe infrastructure destruction across multiple districts, and left hundreds of individuals—including foreign tourists—missing.
Disaster Impact and Operational Damage
The disaster swept through landlocked regions, severely impacting local communities, tourism, and essential public utilities:
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Massive Search and Rescue Operation: Authorities report 384 tourists missing, including 291 foreign nationals from India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia. The Nepal Army has deployed disaster response personnel and helicopters for rescue missions.
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Severe Energy Infrastructure Damage: The Nepal Electricity Authority reported that approximately 430 megawatts of generation capacity—encompassing both solar and hydropower facilities—were damaged, causing widespread power outages across affected regions.
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Ground Operations and Highway Closures: Multiple critical highways remain blocked by mudslides and floodwaters, while police reports confirm several residential structures were completely swept away.
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Severely Affected Zones: Rasuwa district suffered catastrophic damage similar to the August 2025 glacial lake outburst, which damaged cross-border bridge infrastructure connecting Nepal and Tibet.
India’s Diplomatic Outreach
Reaffirming regional solidarity and operational coordination, Prime Minister Modi expressed condolences for the loss of lives via social media:
“Spoke to Prime Minister Balendra Shah and conveyed condolences on the loss of lives due to the floods in Nepal. The people of India stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Nepal at this difficult time. India is ready to provide all possible humanitarian assistance to Nepal. Our teams are coordinating closely on rescue and relief efforts.”
