Nepal has declined offers of foreign search-and-rescue teams following catastrophic flooding that has killed 469 people and left nearly 1,000 missing, saying its security forces can handle rescue operations as crews race to reach more than 100 workers trapped in a tunnel.
The Foreign Ministry said Nepal does not currently require outside rescue missions despite offers from India, China, the United States, Britain and South Korea to provide specialized teams and helicopters. “The offer of help is a natural thing, but our security forces are currently carrying out search and rescue operations. At this time, we do not need assistance,” the ministry said.
Flooding began Wednesday along the Nepal-China border, where torrents swept through towns and destroyed homes, roads, bridges and power stations. Local police said the death toll had reached 469, while nearly 1,000 people remained missing, including foreign nationals and tourists.
A massive glacier collapse triggered a sudden flood in Nepal’s Rasuwa district near the Tibet border. Scientists are still working to establish precisely what caused the disaster.
Some experts have linked melting Himalayan glaciers to climate change. Large areas of ice in the mountain range are melting, while rocky mountainsides are becoming less stable.
Among the most urgent rescue operations is an effort to reach more than 100 workers trapped inside a tunnel near a hydroelectric dam construction site.
The Nepali army said two helicopters were assisting at the site, where flooding has made it difficult for rescue crews to identify the tunnel’s entrance and exit.
Nepalese officials have said the army and police have sufficient capacity to conduct the rescue effort. Authorities also cited the administrative burden created by coordinating numerous international teams following previous disasters, including the 2015 earthquake.
While Nepal is not currently accepting foreign rescue missions, it continues to receive financial assistance and humanitarian supplies. The Red Cross and United Nations are among the organizations providing emergency funding and medical supplies as rescue operations continue.
