Nepal flash floods have raised concern in Assam after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said six people from the state were feared missing following the devastating disaster in Nepal. Authorities were working to verify the information and establish contact with residents who had travelled to the neighbouring country.
Six Assam residents feared missing
Speaking to reporters on Friday, August 28, Sarma said the state government had received information about six people from Assam who could not be contacted after the disaster. He cautioned that the figure was still being verified and could change as authorities gathered more information.
“As of Friday afternoon,” six people from Assam were reported missing, Sarma said, adding that the government was making efforts to establish contact with those who were in Nepal.
The Assam government has been coordinating efforts to identify residents who may have been affected by the floods and determine their whereabouts. The immediate priority is to establish communication with the missing people and ensure their safe return.
The situation remained fluid as rescue teams in Nepal continued searching areas hit by floodwaters, landslides and debris.
Nepal flash floods devastate Himalayan region
The disaster struck on August 26 after a glacier collapse and an ice-rock avalanche triggered sudden flooding in the Himalayan region. The resulting torrents of water, mud and debris caused widespread destruction along river valleys in Nepal, particularly in the Rasuwa district near the China border.
The flooding destroyed roads, bridges, homes and power infrastructure. Hydropower facilities were also badly affected, while some workers and residents were trapped in areas that became difficult for rescuers to reach.
The scale of the disaster has made communication and rescue operations challenging. Helicopters have been deployed for evacuations and relief work, but difficult terrain, unstable conditions and the risk of further flooding have slowed operations.
Thousands of people have been reported missing across Nepal and Tibet, including foreign nationals who were working, travelling or on religious journeys in the region. The large number of unaccounted people has complicated efforts to establish accurate casualty and missing-person figures.
Families in Assam await information
For the families of the six reported missing Assam residents, the uncertainty has added to the distress caused by the disaster. Authorities are attempting to establish direct communication and verify reports received from different sources.
Some of those reported missing have already been identified by local reports. Among them are 24-year-old Rituparna Brahma and 28-year-old Mantri Basumatary from Doydak village in Karbi Anglong. They had reportedly travelled to Nepal for work and were employed near the Trishuli River. Their families were unable to contact them after the floods struck.
Another Assam resident reported missing was identified as 28-year-old Shatadal Nath from Hojai district. He was reportedly working in Nepal and was at his accommodation when the disaster occurred.
There has also been some relief for one family, as Someshwar Narzary, a colleague of Brahma and Basumatary and a resident of Karbi Anglong, survived and managed to contact his family.
Assam steps up verification efforts
The Assam government has been working through official channels to collect information about residents in Nepal. Helplines and coordination mechanisms have been activated to assist families seeking information about relatives who may be stranded or missing.
The need for verification is particularly important because communication networks in disaster-hit areas have been disrupted. Mobile connectivity, damaged roads and limited access to remote locations can make it difficult to confirm whether a person is safe.
A subsequent update on August 29 indicated that the number of Assam residents whose whereabouts were unconfirmed had risen to 12, showing how quickly the situation was developing as more reports reached the authorities. Two people on that later list were subsequently confirmed safe by their families.
Rescue operations continue
Rescue teams in Nepal continue to search through damaged settlements and infrastructure while authorities assess the full impact of the disaster. More than 3,700 people had been rescued in Nepal, according to reports, although thousands remained unaccounted for.
For Assam, the immediate focus remains on confirming the safety of residents who travelled to Nepal. As search operations continue, families are waiting for reliable information from officials and rescuers.
The Nepal flash floods have created a major humanitarian emergency across the Himalayan region. For Assam, the disaster has also become a deeply personal crisis, with families awaiting confirmation about their loved ones while authorities continue efforts to trace those reported missing.
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