Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has expressed deep anguish over the catastrophic floods sweeping Nepal, calling the disaster 'devastating' and extending his thoughts and prayers to survivors and bereaved families. Du Plessis, who visited the Himalayan nation last year as part of the 2025 Nepal Premier League (NPL), posted his message on X on Saturday, 29 August.

Du Plessis's Personal Connection to Nepal

The former Proteas skipper played for Biratnagar Kings in the NPL and has spoken warmly of his time there. In his post, he wrote: 'I was lucky enough to visit Nepal last year and experience firsthand the kindness of its people and the incredible beauty of the country. It's devastating to see what has happened. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected, and with the families and communities facing such heartbreaking loss.'

The message resonated widely, given that Du Plessis is among the more prominent international cricketers to have participated in the NPL, lending the league global visibility.

Scale of the Disaster

The floods, centred on the Nepal-Tibet border region, have claimed at least 626 lives, with 2,426 people still reported missing. More than 4,451 stranded individuals — including 187 foreign nationals — have been evacuated by rescue teams. Over 1,700 injured victims are currently receiving treatment at emergency medical facilities across the country.

Among those missing are a significant number of government and security personnel: 27 Nepal Police personnel, 45 Nepal Army personnel, 13 Armed Police Force personnel, 15 Customs Office personnel, and 4 Immigration Office personnel remain unaccounted for.

Nepal Army Leads Ground Response

The Nepal Army has deployed approximately 6,700 personnel on the ground to coordinate disaster response efforts. Search, rescue, and relief operations are ongoing across affected districts, with the scale of the operation described as one of the largest mobilisations in recent memory for the country.

This is among the worst natural calamities to strike Nepal in recent years, compounding the country's vulnerability to climate-linked extreme weather events in the high-altitude Himalayan belt.

India Rushes Aid to Nepal

Following a formal request from Kathmandu, India has dispatched 62 tonnes of humanitarian relief material to flood-affected regions since Wednesday. An 11-member Indian contingent — comprising medical personnel and specialised tunnel rescue experts — has also been deployed on the ground to support ongoing operations.

The relief consignment includes tents, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps, dewatering pumps, kitchen sets, generator sets, 8 tonnes of medicines, and 1 tonne of food items. Nepal is governed by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, whose administration made the formal appeal to New Delhi.

What Comes Next

With hundreds still missing and rescue operations active, the death toll is expected to rise. International attention — amplified by voices such as Du Plessis — may help accelerate humanitarian support. Aid agencies and regional governments are being urged to scale up assistance as the full extent of the damage becomes clearer in the coming days.