Tunnel rescue teams from India, China, Singapore working

KATHMANDU:- On the seventh day since the catastrophic floods in the Bhotekoshi River, which claimed 1,010 lives and left around 4,000 people still unaccounted for, a unified force of more than 21,000 personnel from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force is engaged in search, rescue, evacuation and relief operations across the affected areas.

The devastating floods swept away settlements, livelihoods and critical infrastructure.

At the same time, the government continues to coordinate closely with the immediate neighbours and the wider international community to identify and mobilise specific expertise, equipment and resources required for the ongoing rescue and relief operations, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri informed at a press meet on Tuesday.

Specialised tunnel rescue teams from India and China are mobilised at the affected hydropower sites. A team from Republic of Korea has also arrived. According to Chhetri, the Indian tunnel rescue teams are working closely with the Nepali Army at the Chilime and Langtang hydropower sites, while a Chinese team is working in coordination with the Nepali Army at the Upper Trishuli 3A project site.

“We have also received specialised equipment for the management and preservation of mortal remains. A 19-member forensic team from India specialising in DNA analysis continues to work with the concerned Nepali authorities since 29 August. A forensic team of 4 people is arriving from China this evening,” said Chhetri.

Meanwhile, coordination is also underway to mobilise a Disaster Victim Identification team from Singapore. The government has also requested for the supply of LiDAR, belly bridges, freezers, DNA testing kits, load carriers, bags for human remains, high-capacity drones, gene sequencer and other items.

Likewise, the government informed that the scale and extent of the damage caused by the disaster are becoming clear as access has improved and more details are now available.

The scale of damage is currently being assessed by the concerned authorities, including the damage to houses, roads, bridges, hydropower facilities and other critical infrastructure.

Chhetri reiterated that given the magnitude of the destruction, Nepal anticipates requiring substantial international support during the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase. The Government will communicate specific requirements through established official channels.