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

Kathmandu, Nepal is seeking foreign assistance in specialized and technical areas following the devastating flood that struck its Himalayan border with China this week, according to Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal. The flood, triggered by a glacier collapse on Wednesday, has killed over 600 people in Nepal and over 2,000 in China's Tibet, with more than 2,000 still unaccounted for.

Despite initial government claims that Nepal could manage rescue efforts on its own, Khanal revealed that the country requires foreign help in areas like rescuing people trapped in tunnels, repairing damaged transport and communication infrastructure, identifying and storing bodies for extended periods, and DNA testing.

The flood has caused extensive damage to school buildings, hospitals, hydroelectric plants, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. Khanal stated that hospitals are overwhelmed, with many bodies being washed away and recovered from Chitwan and Nawalparasi in the plains, approximately 100km from the disaster zone. He emphasized that Nepal lacks the necessary refrigeration facilities to store dead bodies.

Nepal has already made requests for technical assistance in areas where it lacks expertise and knowledge, including tunnel rescue operations, which are new to the country. Giant neighbors India and China, who share a border with Nepal, have been requested to provide bailey bridges to swiftly reopen transportation and communication in the disaster-stricken area.