India has intensified its humanitarian assistance to flood-ravaged Nepal, sending its eighth Indian Air Force relief flight carrying 35 tonnes of essential supplies and specialised rescue equipment to Kathmandu as search operations continue across some of the worst-hit areas.
The latest consignment arrived on Wednesday, taking India’s total relief assistance to Nepal since August 26 to more than 130 tonnes. India has also deployed 54 experts, including personnel involved in tunnel rescue and forensic operations, to support Nepal’s ongoing response.
Relief Supplies Include Rescue and Forensic Equipment
The latest shipment includes temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and medicines. It also contains specialised equipment required for difficult search-and-rescue operations, including tunnel and mud rescue gear.
India has additionally supplied DNA kits, reagents and other equipment for DNA profiling as Nepal works to identify victims whose remains have been recovered from the disaster zone. Portable generators, lighting equipment and dewatering pumps have also been provided.
India began sending assistance within hours of the floods striking Nepal on August 26, following communication between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah. The latest flight is part of an eight-flight humanitarian assistance effort.
Nepal Reports 1,367 Bodies Recovered
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its September 9 situation update that 1,367 bodies had been recovered from the flood-affected areas. It also reported that around 5,100 people remained missing, while 13,646 people had been rescued. The figures remain subject to updating as search and verification operations continue.
The scale of the disaster has made identification particularly difficult. According to recent reporting, only a portion of the recovered remains have so far been formally identified or handed over to families, with DNA testing being used where visual identification is not possible.
Indian Teams Join Search at Chilime
A specialised Indian tunnel-rescue team is working alongside the Nepal Army in the Chilime area of Rasuwa district, where difficult terrain and damaged access routes have complicated the search.
The team has been using manual methods and specialised equipment while authorities work to create an access route for heavy machinery. The Indian assistance includes equipment designed for tunnel and mud-rescue operations.
The search at Chilime is part of wider efforts to locate people still missing after the floods and landslides devastated several areas along the Bhote Koshi River corridor.
Forensic Teams Assist With DNA Identification
India has also deployed forensic specialists who are working with Nepalese authorities at two laboratories in Kathmandu. Their work involves examining DNA samples to help establish the identities of victims whose remains cannot be identified through conventional methods.
The forensic assistance is particularly important as families continue to wait for confirmation about missing relatives. Nepalese authorities have been collecting DNA samples from relatives to facilitate matching with unidentified remains.
Thousands Still Missing as Rescue Continues
The disaster has left a large number of people unaccounted for despite extensive rescue operations. Nepal’s official situation report put the missing figure at around 5,100, including foreign nationals.
The Nepal Army has also expanded the use of helicopters and other methods to reach isolated communities where roads and bridges have been damaged or destroyed. Recent reporting said drones are being used to deliver essential supplies to areas that remain difficult to reach by conventional means.
India’s latest relief flight therefore comes at a critical stage of the response, combining immediate humanitarian supplies with specialised equipment and technical expertise aimed at supporting Nepal’s rescue, recovery and victim-identification efforts.
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