Shashi Tharoor was blissfully unaware of Nepal floods while on way to Kathmandu

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said he flew to Kathmandu on Wednesday unaware that flash floods had devastated Nepal. He backed India's relief pledge and expressed concern for victims, missing people and Indian pilgrims.

In Short

• Floods hit Rasuwa district near Tibet border, ravaging Bhote Koshi and Trishuli
• At least 19 motorable bridges and 40 km of highway were destroyed
• Eight operational hydropower projects suffered heavy damage in the sudden deluge

It was a usual day for Congress MP Shashi Tharoor as he boarded a flight to Kathmandu on Wednesday, “blissfully unaware” that the devastating flash floods had ravaged Nepal. By the time Tharoor landed, he learnt that the catastrophe had killed 270 people and left nearly 1,500 missing.

In a post on X on Thursday, Tharoor said experts had suggested that global warming or an earthquake in Tibet may have caused a large chunk of a glacier to break off and fall into the valley, triggering the flash floods.

"Took off for Kathmandu yesterday, blissfully unaware of the drama that had taken place in the hills and caused such catastrophic damage. A severe, sudden flash flood struck northern Nepal’s Rasuwa district near the Tibet border, causing widespread destruction along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers," the diplomat-turned-politician tweeted.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP said the floods destroyed at least 19 motorable bridges, washed away around 40 km of the Betrawati-Rasuwagadhi highway and heavily damaged eight operational hydropower projects.

"Learned on arrival of the loss of life (now confirmed at 160 so far) and the fact that some 2,000 or more people are estimated to be missing. Raging floodwaters destroyed at least 19 motorable bridges, washed away roughly 40 km of the Betrawati–Rasuwagadhi highway, and heavily damaged eight operational hydropower projects. I fully support the Indian government’s immediate pledge of relief assistance. Nepal needs all the help it can get," he said.

Tharoor expressed sympathy for those affected, noting that many Indian tourists, including over 100 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims, were among those caught up in the disaster.

"My heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones, who include large numbers of Indian tourists, including a hundred performing the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra. Prayers for the missing; may they be rescued soon," he said.

RESCUE OPERATIONS UNDERWAY IN FLOOD-HIT NEPAL

Authorities in Nepal raced against time on Thursday to locate hundreds of people missing after devastating flash floods, including Indian tourists, as the death toll rose to 270, making it one of the country’s worst disasters in recent years.

Nepal Police said more bodies were found and confirmed the current death toll. Most of the fatalities were reported in Chitwan, Dhading and Nuwakot.

The flash floods were triggered after a possible ice avalanche blocked the flow of the Lhende tributary of the Bhote Koshi river. The torrent first hit Timure, near Rasuwagadhi along Nepal’s border with Tibet, before sweeping downstream.

Earlier today, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said 288 Indians are missing in Nepal, including 73 of those working on the Trishuli power project.

As of 1 pm on Thursday, 21 Indians from Tamil Nadu have been rescued and are being brought back home, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

"Several Indians also remain stranded on the Chinese side of the border in Tibet. More than 200 Indians have sought help, with 95 of them currently in Darchin," Jaiswal added.

At least 73 people were injured in flood-related incidents, including 43 in Rasuwa, 27 in Nuwakot and three in Dhading. They were undergoing treatment at hospitals, including Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu.

The floods damaged 35 motorable bridges, 45 suspension bridges and around 40 km of black-topped roads, mainly in central Nepal.

- Ends
(with inputs from PTI)