Jammu: As Nepal grapples with the devastation caused by deadly flash floods, schoolchildren in Jammu have come together to offer prayers, express solidarity with the affected families and contribute towards relief efforts.
With prayers on their lips and concern in their hearts, the students of Shiksha Niketan and Dewan Devi Higher Secondary Schools gathered on their school grounds to pay tribute to those who lost their lives and remember families still awaiting news of missing loved ones.
At Shiksha Niketan Higher Secondary School, students and their parents also took part in a voluntary donation drive for flood relief, contributing whatever they could towards the effort.
“Nepal is our neighbouring country, and we stand with it,” Principal Rameshwar Mengi told PTI.
He said the initiative was aimed at teaching students that compassion should translate into action.
“We wanted to instil in the children a feeling that we should never hesitate to serve or help someone. The government is already providing assistance, but we also wanted to contribute,” Mengi said, adding that the response from students and their parents had surprised him.
For the children, the disaster was more than a distant headline.
Standing together on the school ground, many spoke of families in Nepal anxiously waiting for news of loved ones who remain missing.
Bhoomi, a student, said the devastation in Rasuwa and other affected areas had deeply moved her.
“So many people are missing, and many have lost their lives. I want to pray for the families who have lost their loved ones and for those who are still missing, whose families do not even know whether they are alive or dead,” she said.
Another student, Angel, appealed to other institutions and organisations to contribute towards relief efforts.
“I would also like to appeal to other institutions and organisations to contribute as much as they can and extend whatever help is possible to the people affected by the floods,” she said.
Shivansi Singh described those affected as “our brothers and sisters” and expressed solidarity with Nepal on behalf of her school.
“I am deeply saddened that so many of our brothers and sisters in Nepal have been swept away in such a devastating flood, and many have lost their lives. On behalf of Shiksha Niketan School, I stand with our neighbouring country, Nepal,” she said.
The death toll from the flash floods in Nepal reached 626 on Saturday, while nearly 2,000 people were still reported missing.
Death toll reaches 675, 287 Indians missing
Kathmandu: The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 675 on Saturday, with more bodies being recovered on Saturday even as more than 2,400 people still remained missing following the disaster.
Bodies were recovered from all eight affected districts as search and rescue operations continued on war footing, Nepal police said.
An ice-rock avalanche following a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border sent a torrent of water, mud and debris downstream wiping out towns and villages, damaging crucial infrastructure and washing away hydropower stations through central Nepal on Wednesday.
So far, 675 bodies of the Bhote Koshi flood victims have been recovered from eight districts, according to a statement by Nepal Police.
The rescuers have recovered 246 bodies from Chitawan, 165 from Nawalparasi East, 63 from Nawalparasi West and 57 from Gorkha, it said.
Similarly, 45 bodies were recovered from Dhading district, 51 from Nuwakot, 35 from Tanahu and 13 from Rasuwa district.
More than 2,400 people remained missing as of Saturday.
Nearly 2,500 people, including 163 foreigners, were evacuated as rescue teams led by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) raced against time amid on-and-off rainfall in the flood-affected regions.
More than 11,000 security personnel, including over 5,000 Nepal Army personnel, have been mobilised for search and rescue operations.
The NDRRMA, in a statement, urged people not to fly drones in the flood affected area, where search and rescue operations are being carried out.
“Our attention has been drawn that there are reports about flying drone by some individuals and organisations without the permission from the local administration at a time when rescue and relief works are in progress,” it said.
The Authority warned of legal action if the law is breached.
At least 287 Indians remained missing while 88 others were rescued following the devastating flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border four days back, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday.
It said 128 persons of Indian origin have also been uncontactable. The MEA also said that 120 Indian nationals stranded on the Chinese side have safely crossed over to Nepal on Saturday.
Four Indian nationals — Ripu Kumar, Chaneshwar Narzary, Kripa Shankar and Mohammed Minhajuddin — were rescued from a hydropower project in Rasuwa, it said, adding they are expected to reach Kathmandu soon.
Rasuwa was among the areas severely impacted by the floods.
The death toll from Wednesday’s flash floods in Nepal rose to 675 with more bodies recovered as search and rescue operations continued, according to the latest details shared by Nepalese authorities.
The MEA said India sent a six-member team of forensic experts to Nepal on Saturday to help local authorities to analyse DNA samples for identification of mortal remains of those killed in the floods.
India has also sent a specialised technical team for tunnel reconnaissance and rescue to the neighbouring country as part of its support.
“The team started working from today to assist in tunnel rescue in the impacted area. Based on their recommendation, a specialised tunnel rescue team from India with equipment is expected to reach Nepal today,” the MEA said on social media.
It said 88 Indian nationals were rescued and 287 remained missing as of Saturday.
Since Wednesday night, India sent a total of 57.5 tonnes of emergency supplies to Nepal in three military transport aircraft. The latest consignment of 10 tonnes of relief materials was sent on Friday evening.
Alongside the relief supplies, India also sent an 11-member team of doctors and paramedics as well as a reconnaissance crew to assess tunnel rescue operations.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday that India has offered to send Bailey bridges to Nepal along with associated technical teams so that connectivity can be restored quickly in the areas hit by the floods.
