Nepal says needs help in technical areas, not search and rescue

Kathmandu, Nepal is requesting foreign assistance in specialized and technical areas following devastating floods that struck the Himalayan border with China, killing over 600 people and leaving more than 2,000 others unaccounted for. The floods caused extensive damage to critical infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, hydroelectric plants, roads, bridges, and other facilities.

Nepal's Foreign Minister, Shisir Khanal, told Reuters that the country requires help with tasks such as rescuing people trapped in tunnels, repairing destroyed bridges, identifying and testing dead bodies, and preserving bodies for extended periods. However, Nepal is managing rescue efforts on its own and does not need foreign involvement in general search and rescue operations, which are being carried out by Nepali rescuers.

Hospitals are overwhelmed with dead bodies, and refrigeration facilities are lacking to store them. Nepal is facing challenges in tunnel rescue operations due to its lack of experience and technical knowledge in this area. Giant neighbors India and China, whom Nepal shares a border with, have been asked for assistance in reopening transport and communication services using resources like bailey bridges, as over two dozen bridges have been destroyed in the disaster.