Nepal wants technical help for flood, billions of dollars as bad weather hampers rescue

KATHMANDU: Bad weather halted Nepal's search and rescue operations on Saturday, prompting the nation to seek foreign technical assistance amid a devastating flood that originated from a glacier collapse. The impoverished Himalayan country, home to 30 million individuals, estimates the need for $4 billion to $5 billion for rebuilding efforts following the disaster, revealed Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle to Reuters.

The catastrophic event, which occurred on Wednesday, led to at least 626 deaths in Nepal and seven in China's Tibet, claiming countless lives and causing extensive destruction as it swept through mountain river systems, demolishing buildings, bridges, and power stations.

Nearly 3,000 people remain missing – 2,426 in Nepal and at least 558 in Tibet's Gyirong County, with many being foreign Hindu pilgrims from India. The risk of a lake burst near the China-Nepal border, a result of the disaster, appears to be diminishing. Nepal is requesting specialized help rather than general rescue assistance. Search and rescue efforts were temporarily suspended on Friday and Saturday due to rainfall and foggy conditions, as local bureaucrat Narendra Pariyar informed Reuters. The urgent priority now is to transport rescued pilgrims to Kathmandu, the country's capital.

Authorities had previously halted rescue operations on Friday when a lake formed across the Nepal-China border after the flood started to overflow into Nepal's Lhende Khola and Trishuli rivers. A Chinese government geohazards expert cautioned that one of the two upstream lakes might be unstable, while others scattered in the region could also pose a threat. Despite the shrinking of one lake, Nepal's state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Friday that China's water resources ministry had analyzed the situation.

In response to the disaster, India has dispatched three flights carrying approximately 60 tons of relief material, including blankets, medicines, food, and water purification tablets. Additionally, India plans to dispatch a disaster response force and prefabricated bridges along with technical teams to restore connectivity. China has called for international cooperation in aiding Nepal, offering emergency aid to the affected areas and requesting international rescue cooperation, though specifics about China's contributions remain undisclosed.