India has airlifted 47.5 tonnes of relief material to Nepal within 24 hours of devastating flash floods, with the Indian Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) kept ready for further assistance. Two Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft carrying shelters, medicines, food, hygiene supplies and other essential items landed in Kathmandu as rescue and relief operations continued in the neighbouring country.
The first aircraft, a C-130J Super Hercules, departed from Hindon airbase on Wednesday night carrying 10 tonnes of temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and essential medicines. A C-17 Globemaster-III followed on Thursday morning with another 37.5 tonnes of relief supplies, including medicines, food and an NDRF payload. The operation came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with his Nepalese counterpart and offered India's assistance following the disaster.
Indian defence resources have also been placed on standby for possible deployment. Officials said the Army's engineering capabilities could be used if required, including for constructing bridges in areas where crossings have been washed away. The IAF has also kept additional C-17 and C-130 aircraft available, while helicopters have been earmarked for rescue and evacuation operations.
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The disaster has caused extensive damage in several parts of Nepal, with roads and bridges affected and communication networks disrupted. Nepal Police reported that the death toll had reached 332 by Thursday afternoon, while the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority listed more than 900 people as missing or out of contact. The United States Geological Survey later attributed the flooding to a glacial collapse and debris flow after initially recording the event as a magnitude-4.4 earthquake.
The Ministry of External Affairs said 288 Indian nationals remained uncontactable in the affected areas because communication lines had been completely disrupted. The group includes 73 Indians working at the Trishuli-1 hydroelectric project and groups of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala. Twenty-one pilgrims from Tamil Nadu have been rescued, while around 200 Indians stranded on the Chinese side have sought evacuation assistance.
India has also been coordinating wider humanitarian support for Nepal, including assistance related to damaged crossings. Nepal's road authorities have begun installing Bailey bridges where routes were destroyed, while India had previously supplied prefabricated steel bridges following major floods in 2024 and 2025. The MEA has established a 24x7 control room, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has reviewed the situation with senior officials and Indian ambassadors in Kathmandu and Beijing.
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