SynopsisNepal's flash flood death toll has significantly increased, with many people still missing. India has offered National Disaster Response Force teams to aid Nepal's search and rescue efforts. Hundreds of Indian nationals remain unaccounted for, with some stranded on the Chinese side. India is also preparing additional humanitarian aid, including medical support and engineering teams. Two aircraft carrying relief materials have already been dispatched to Nepal.ANINepal's flash flood death toll has significantly increased, with many people still missing. India has offered National Disaster Response Force teams to aid Nepal's search and rescue efforts.New Delhi: The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal rose sharply on Friday, increasing by 41 within a few hours to reach 579. The number of people missing has also climbed to 1,924.Meanwhile, India has offered to deploy National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams in Nepal to assist with search-and-rescue operations following devastating flash floods that struck Nepal on Wednesday, as at least 320 Indians remain missing and around 400 others are stranded on the Chinese side.Also Read: Nepal floods Day 3: What we know and don't know about the tragedyExternal Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday that 96 Indian nationals who were stranded on the Chinese side had safely crossed over to Nepal by land. Separately, 21 Indians arrived in New Delhi on Friday afternoon, a day after reaching Kathmandu from the flood-affected areas of Nepal. The Tamil Nadu nationals were received at the airport by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar."As far as the number of people (Indians) whom we are not able to contact or who are missing, the figure at this point in time is 320," Jaiswal said. "There are also around 100 persons of Indian origin who remained uncontactable. These are people of Indian origin who may have gone for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, but they hold other nationalities."Jaiswal said the 400 Indians stranded on the Chinese side were safe and in touch with their families. "They have been in touch with their family. Our embassy has been in touch with several of them. Many of their family members also contacted us through the helpline numbers that our embassy is running in Beijing," he said."Our embassy is in touch with local authorities in China, and they are working out as to how these people who are there can be evacuated," he informed.Also Read: Nepal Flash Flood latest news updates: 547 dead, 1,000-plus missing as rescue efforts near day three endMeanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India was preparing additional humanitarian assistance, including medical support, engineering teams and equipment to help restore damaged infrastructure, following a "request" from Nepal."Two aircraft with relief materials have already been sent; we are expecting a third aircraft to carry humanitarian assistance from our side to Nepal," Jaiswal said. "As requested by Nepal, we are preparing to send a tunnel rescue team, for which a recce team is being flown in first to assess the on-the-ground situation as to what equipment will be required.""We are also sending a medical team to Nepal. In addition, we have also offered Bailey bridges along with associated technical teams, so that connectivity can be restored quickly in the affected parts of Nepal," he said.Since Wednesday, India has sent a total of 47.5 tonnes of emergency supplies to Nepal in two military transport aircraft and is in the process of sending more relief materials."We have also made a specific offer to the Nepal authorities to dispatch NDRF teams along with their associated equipment that can help in ongoing search and rescue operations and bring relief assistance to people impacted by the tragedy. We await a response from the government of Nepal on this front. We stand ready to offer any assistance that the Nepal authorities might require," Jaiswal added.Nepal, however, has indicated that its own security agencies are currently leading the response.Read More News on