Nepal PM Balen Shah urges all to 'stand together' after flash flood kills 95: 'Govt is with you'

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Wednesday urged the people of the Himalayan nation to stand united after devastating flood on Wednesday killed at least 95 people. "The pain and loss you have suffered is not small. But I want to assure you that you are not alone in this difficult time -- the state is with you with all its means and resources," Shah said in a statement posted to social media.

"Please be patient. The government takes full responsibility for your rescue, treatment, food and shelter. In times of such a disaster, we all need to stand together," he said.

At least 72 people were killed after the massive flood tore through the border region with Tibet. Some 403 tourists -- 341 of them foreigners -- were unaccounted for several hours after the disaster struck, according to the ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation.

At least 95 people died and nearly 500 others, including 105 Indians, are missing after a massive flash flood originating in Tibet swept through central on Wednesday. Of these, 18 bodies have been recovered from Chitawan district, 16 from Dhading, 11 from Nuwakot and one from Rasuwa, according to Rajendra Prasad Dhamala, spokesperson at Bagmati Province Police Office.

It should be noted that the flash flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River at around 9 am (local time) affecting Rasuwa and Dhading districts bordering Tibet, officials said. It then spread to Dhading, Nuwakot and Chitawan districts, damaging at least four permanent bridges and few temporary ones.

At least 93 people have been rescued from different parts of the affected areas, Dhamala added. Among them, 30 people are undergoing treatment at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu. The missing include at least 105 Indians and 37 NRIs, with most of them headed for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in Tibet.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had spoken to Balen Shah, and gave both his condolences and an offer to aid rescue efforts. "The people of India stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Nepal at this difficult time," Modi said in a statement and added, "India is ready to provide all possible humanitarian assistance to Nepal. Our teams are coordinating closely on rescue and relief efforts."