India news: PM Modi leaves for Central Asian tour

Here are the biggest headlines from India on Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30.

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Over 300 Indians still missing in Nepal-Tibet floods

At least 320 Indian nationals were still unaccounted for in the Nepal-Tibet floods as of Friday evening, according to the latest update from India's foreign ministry.

A glacier collapse on Wednesday ‌unleashed a huge torrentof rock, ice, mud and ‌debris ​through Himalayan mountain river systems, killing more than 600 people in Nepal and China's Tibet. Over 2,000 people are missing.

Here's the latest update on Indian nationals:

Meanwhile, India dispatched a third flight carrying relief supplies to Nepal on Friday evening. The flight also carried an 11-member medical and tunnel rescue team, who are now working on the ground, according to India's Foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Modi is en route to Uzbekistan for bilateral talks

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for a state visit to Uzbekistan, where he is set to discuss ways of deepening cooperation with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Ahead of departure, Modi said he looked forward to his discussions with the Uzbek president to "further deepening our cooperation in trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence, energy, and on advancing our shared visions of Viksit Bharat and Yangi Uzbekistan."

"Viksit Bharat" roughly translates to "Developed India" and is a commonly used term by Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. "Yangi Uzbekistan" translates to "New Uzbekistan" and is a political slogan used by Mirziyoyev.

On Saturday, Modi will attend a dinner hosted by Mirziyoyev, followed by bilateral engagements with him on Sunday at the Presidential Palace.

After his two-day state visit to Uzbekistan, Modi will travel to the Kyrgyz Republic to attend the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, where he is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

Hello and welcome to DW's India blog!

This is Mahima Kapoor reporting from the Delhi studio and I will be your guide through the chaotic news cycle of the world's most populous nation.

Hundreds of Indians remain missing in the devastating Nepal-Tibet flash floods, as of the Indian foreign ministry's last update. Most of those unaccounted for or stranded were either working in Nepal or were pilgrims visiting the Kailash Mansarovar site in China's Tibet.

Indian embassies in Kathmandu and Beijing are working closely with local authorities, and Delhi has sent at least three tranches of aid.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a four-day official trip to Central Asia. He will first visit Uzbekistan to hold bilateral discussions and further cooperation between the two nations. Modi will then attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kyrgyzstan for the last two days of his tour.

Stay tuned for all of this and more!