India, Uzbekistan raise ties as Nepal flood toll climbs and SCO summit looms

Modi and Mirziyoyev elevated India-Uzbekistan ties and set a USD 5 billion trade goal. The diplomatic push unfolded as Nepal battled a worsening flood disaster and intensified rescue efforts.Image used for representational purposes onlyIndia and Uzbekistan on Sunday decided to elevate their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership and set a target of USD 5 billion in annual trade by 2030 after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Modi was also conferred with Uzbekistan's highest honour for foreign leaders before travelling to Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.At the same time, Nepal's flood crisis deepened, with the death toll from flash floods rising to 788 and more than 2,500 people still missing. Authorities warned of rising water levels in the Bhotekoshi River and asked residents and rescue personnel in affected districts to remain alert, as aid flowed in and rescue efforts continued.In Tashkent, Modi received the 'Oliy Darajali Do'stlik' Order, Uzbekistan's highest honour for foreign leaders, and dedicated it to the "enduring" bond between New Delhi and Tashkent. He also paid floral tribute at the Shastri Memorial in honour of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and jointly planted a tree with Mirziyoyev.Modi later arrived in Bishkek, where he is scheduled to attend the SCO summit and hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines. Chinese President Xi Jinping also arrived in Kyrgyzstan for the 26th SCO summit. Experts said Modi's visit offers an opportunity to deepen India's engagement with Central Asia, with greater focus on connectivity as well as cooperation in healthcare, digital ties and tourism. In Nepal, India said it has provided 68.5 tonnes of relief material to flood-hit areas and sent a Bailey bridge, tunnel expertise, technical teams, forensic experts and equipment to support search and rescue operations. The United States also announced humanitarian assistance of more than USD 3.6 million, including emergency food support for up to 10,000 households.Chinese officials said the death toll from flash floods in Tibet near the Nepal border rose to 16 on Sunday, with 546 people, including 49 Indians, still missing. They also said 261 foreign nationals, including 49 Indians, remained unaccounted for after the August 26 flood at Gyirong Port, one of the main border crossings between Nepal and Tibet. On the ground in Nepal, families were trying to rebuild shattered lives. In central Nepal's Galchhi, resident Nayan Tiwari said, "Everything was here before, but now there is nothing left," while another report carried the line, "We will rebuild it," reflecting the resolve of survivors returning to damaged homes and searching for belongings.Rescue teams intensified efforts in Nuwakot to reach 42 people believed to be trapped inside the Upper Trishuli-3A hydropower project tunnel. Nepali Army engineers used heavy equipment and blasting to widen an opening into the buried structure.Hospitals and shelters have become focal points of grief and uncertainty. Outside Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, a woman looking for missing relatives asked journalists, "Will your cameras bring our people back?" Reports from the relief effort also described "nothing left but hope" for many families, while survivor accounts included the stark words, "Mother was swept away." Five-year-old Ishara Tamang was among those injured and separated from family after surviving the flash floods in Rasuwa district on the Nepal-Tibet border. Thousands of displaced people are now living in temporary shelters, often without medicines and other basic necessities they had before the waters swept through their communities.In Kathmandu, members of the LGBTQ+ community held a candlelight vigil to honour flood victims and pray for those still missing. Separately, in New York, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said unity in diversity is in Bharat's DNA and must be "celebrated, respected and accepted." In Lahore, Pakistan's human rights body said the state used "disproportionate" force against protesters in the PoK and raised serious questions over the credibility of the electoral process, which it said was marred by violence and allegations of massive rigging.The day's developments brought together diplomacy in Central Asia, regional political reactions and the continuing humanitarian emergency in Nepal, where rescue work, searches for the missing and efforts to rebuild remain under way.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 30, 2026 21:26 IST